UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


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t'HFSIIltNT        DK         MtX.H;U. 


TRAVELS 

OVER 

THE    TABLE    LANDS    AND    CORDILLERAS 

OF 

MEXICO. 

DURING  THE  YEARS  1843  AND  44; 


INCLUDING 


A  UESCniPTION  OF  CALIFORNIA,  THE   PRINCIPAL  CITIES  AND  MINING 
rnSTRICTS  OF  THAT  REPUBLIC, 


BIOGRAPHIES  OF  ITURBIDE  AND  SANTA  ANNA. 


BY   ALBERT  M.   GILLIAM, 

LA.TE  U.  S.  CONSUL  TO  CALIFORNIA. 


WITH   MAPS    AND  PLATES. 

PHILADELPHIA: 

JOHN  W.  MOORE,  138  CHESTNUT  STREET. 

LONDON:   WILEY  &  PUTNAM. 

1  846. 


EsTEHEi)  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1845, 
BY    ALBERT    M  .    G  I  L  ].  I  A  M  , 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court,  of  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylvania. 


"  *.» 


(^4  It 


DEDICATION. 


To  General  Waddt  Thompson,  Late  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister 
Fhnipotentiary  from  the  government  of  the  United  States,  to  the  Republic 
of  Mexico. 

Esteemed  Sir, — 

In  publishing  the  Journal  of  my  Travels  in  Mexico,  I  have  been 
unable  to  think  of  any  other  than  yourself,  to  whom  I  would  inscribe 

V    this  volume. 

" '  '  I  have  done  so,  not  for  the  reason  of  your  well  known  fame  at  home 
and  abroad,  but  from  a  desire  to  offer  some  memorial  of  the  polite  at- 
tention and  official  aid  you  rendered  me  while  in  Mexico. 

f  In  thus  dedicating  my  book,  I  wish  to  do  honour  to  myself,  by  connect- 
ing my  labour  to  a  name,  honoured  for  its  learning,  talent,  steadiness 
and  patriotism,  rather  than  to  attempt  to  commemorate  your  good  quali- 
ties ;  and  however  unworthy  it  may  be  deemed  by  those  who  peruse  it, 


t 
\ 

\ 

>     the  work  is  to  depend  upon  its  own  merits,  and  not  upon  the  writer. 


It  is  a  delicate,  and  no  grateful  task  to  write  upon  the  manners  and 
customs  of  a  nation  so  dissimilar  to  our  own  ;  and  to  delineate  character 
impartially,  and  describe  whatever  was  to  be  seen,  ignorant  of  the  lan- 
guage and  customs  of  the  people  among  whom  we  have  so  recently  so- 
journed, demanding  my  most  assiduous  attention  and  observation,  requir- 
ing often  my  distrust,  and  judgment  deferred,  until  confirmed  by  investi- 
gation and  the  opinions  of  intelligent  persons,  long  resident  in  the  coun- 
try. 


j^r  DEDICATION. 

Mexico  ha?  for  tlio  last  twenty-five  years  given  to  the  world,  names 
conspicuous  for  deeclg  of  chivalry ;  and  amid  the  disadvantages  of  re- 
peated revolutions,  the  individual  would  be  wilfully  blind,  who  is  not 
struck,  when  beholding  those  ill-fated  people,  with  the  fire  of  their  genius, 
the  rapidity  of  their  conceptions,  and  their  love  of  liberty  and  indepen- 
dence—worthy  of  a  better  fate,  but  ever  destined  to  be  smothered  in 
their  embers,  by  the  benighting  hand  of  superstition,  and  the  ambition 
of  demagogues.  May  God  speed  their  delivery  from  these  forebodings. 
Whatever  Mexico  has  gained  since  our  residence  in  that  country, 
from  the  change  of  power  in  the  deposing  of  her  former  dictator,  time 
must  developc  the  results  to  its  people, — and  in  conclusion,  esteemed 
sir,  permit  me  to  say,  in  thus  dedicating  to  you  ray  book,  that  I  am, 
Sir, 

With  great  respect, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
Albert  M.  Gilliam. 


PREFACE 


In  compliance  with  the  general  custom  of  writing  a  pre- 
face, it  is  my  desire  to  say,  that  I  should  not  publish  my 
Travels  in  Mexico,  but  for  the  flattering  solicitations  of  some 
friends. 

My  journey  in  that  interesting  country,  was  of  long  con- 
tinuance. Individuals  in  Mexico  informed  me  that  it  was 
unknown,  that  persons  in  a  private  capacity  had  ever 
accomplished  so  great  a  distance  of  internal  travel  at  any 
one  period ;  and  not  unfrequently  it  happened,  that  in 
parting  with  acquaintances,  many  apprehensions  and  doubts 
would  be  expressed  of  the  success  of  my  enterprise. 

Although  much  has  been  written  upon  detached  portions 
of  Mexico,  as  seen  by  other  travellers,  yet  I  have  written 
with  a  hope,  that  a  journey  of  about  four  thousand  miles,  in 
a  country  that  has  for  nearly  four  hundred  years  engaged 
the  attention  of  the  world,  will  not  be  read  without  exciting 
some  interest. 


•  PREFACE. 


The  i<z:iioraiio»^  of  the  gcograi)liy  of  Mexico,  has  resulted 
I'roni  ilio  fact,  that  no  scientific  individual  has  ever  traversed 
its  extended  territories,  which  would  enable  him  to  locate 
rivers  and  cities,  or  to  describe  mountains,  valleys  and 
lakes, — it  is  from  the  want  of  this  knowledge  that  a  map  has 
never  been  taken  of  Mexico ;  and  the  only  one  bearing  the 
name  that  can  be  relied  on  is  that  of  Baron  Humboldt,  which 
was  in  the  main  sketched  from  the  imagination.  I  have 
taken  care  to  draw  as  accurate  a  map  of  my  travels,  as 
my  time  and  observation  permitted. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  whilst  other  countries  have  in- 
dustriously had  their  geographical,  geological  and  minera- 
logical  surveys,  Mexico  has  remained  inert,  and  satisfied 
with  the  gloom  and  ignorance  in  which  the  first  revolution 
found  her — the  philosophic  stores  of  her  dominions  are 
locked  u\)  from  the  world,  and  only  probed  here  and  there 
by  foreign  research. 

Since  my  rclurn  to  the  United  States,  my  time  has  been 
so  much  occupied  that  I  have  not  been  enabled  to  devote 
due  aitcntion  and  study  to  the  composition  and  arranfrement 
of  my  manuscript,  but  since  it  has  gone  forth,  I  can  only  re- 
gret, that  haste  has  compelled  me  to  publish  its  imperfections 
wiih  whatever  good  finalities  it  may  possess.  I  fear  that 
my  kM..\vledge  of  iho  Spanish  will  bo  sonlcnced  bv  the  olas- 


I'  U  1:;  !■'  A  (,'  K. 


VU 


sic  eye — yet  in  apology,  1  hope  1  may  bo  excused ;  and 
permit  me  to  say,  that  I  have  given  it  in  the  most  grammati- 
cal manner  that  my  limited  opportunity  of  learning  it  would 
allow. 

My  feelings  of  gratitude  will  not  permit  me  to  conclude 
without  expressing  my  thanks  to  my  friends  of  Virginia. 
Their  generosity  I  have  often  had  reason  to  acknowledge. 
The  Executive  to  whom  I  was  introduced,  distinguished  in 
a  nation's  confidence  and  patronage,  I  shall  always  cherish. 

I  am  happy  in  congratulating  my  fellow  citizens  on  their 
prosperity;  on  their  possession  of  a  land  unequalled  in  its  re- 
sources ;  and  above  all,  as  they  are  the  only  people  truly 
enjoying  constitutional  liberty  and  freedom  of  conscience, 
where  the  laurels  of  victory  unrestrained  by  power,  and 
uncorrupted  by  gold,  deck  the  brow  of  the  triumphant  in  the 
great  contention  of  the  field  of  principle. 


CONTENTS. 


C  H  A  P  T  E  R  I  . 
My  Journal.  The  plain  and  unsophisticated  narration  of  facts  is  of  interest  to  the  reader. 
Incidents  as  happening  the  more  beautifully  and  naturally  are  illustrative  of  cause  and 
effect.  Commission  by  President  Tyler,  as  Consul  of  the  Port  of  San  Francisco,  Upper 
California,  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  Embarked  Oct.  15,  1843.  Three  casualties  in 
throe  months.  First  day's  travel  in  the  Natural  Bridge  Stage.  Arrived,  the  18th  instant, 
at  Guyandotte,  on  the  Ohio.  Voyage  down  the  river,  having  a  view  of  several  States 
of  the  Union.  Arrived  at  Cincinnati,  on  the  23d  inst.  Yellow  Fever  in  New  Orleans. 
Determined  to  spend  one  week  in  Cincinnati.  Entertained  by  hearing  the  Rev.  Nich- 
olas Cobbs,  D.  D.,  preach.  On  the  29ih  inst.  frost  at  New  Orleans.  My  departure 
from  Cincinnati.  Steamer  James  Madison.  On  the  1st  November,  beheld  the  magnificent 
meeting  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers.  On  the  night  of  the  7th  inst.  arrived  in 
sight  of  New  Orleans.     Splendid  view  of  the  city.         .....  17—21 

*  CHAPTERII. 

Visited  Collector  of  the  Port.  His  kind  attention.  Engaged  passage  on  the  schooner 
Amazon  for  Vera  Cruz.  Reception  by  the  Mate.  Destined  to  lodge  in  the  Ladies'  Cabin. 
Confusion  of  the  Mate  by  the  Captain's  arrival.  His  hospitality.  Towed  by  the  Arkan- 
sas. Detained  by  a  fog.  The  tow  drifted.  The  Steamer  by  a  backward  revolution 
came  stern  upon  the  broadside  of  the  Amazon.  Much  damage  sustained.  Capt.  Harding 
in  a  passion.  We  sail  for  Balize.  The  Captain  leaves  the  Amazon  and  returns  with  a 
Pilot.  We  again  set  sail.  Meeting  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Cast  an- 
chor at  the  mouth  of  the  Pass.  Departure  of  the  Pilot,  and  his  rescue  from  drowning. 
Out  of  sight  of  land.  The  Captain's  indisposition.  A  storm  at  sea.  A  man  lost.  View 
of  the  Perote  mountains.  A  calm.  Catching  Fish.  The  Orizava.  By  telescope  viewed 
the  port  of  Vera  Cruz.  Boarded  by  a  Pilot.  Anchored  under  the  walls  of  San  Juan  de 
Ulloa.  Disembarked  from  the  Amazon  for  the  Mole.  Novel  sights.  First  night  in  Vera 
Cruz.     Description  of  Vera  Cniz.     Health  of  Vera  Cruz.     Northers.     -  -         22—40 


CHAPTER     III. 

Dined  with  Mr.  Dimond.  Description  of  ruins.  Isia  de  los  Sacrificios.  AVar-god  Hui- 
tzilopotchili.  The  Mexicans  believe  that  the  period  had  arrived  for  the  return  of  their 
deity.  Cannibal  priests.  Arrival  of  Cortes.  Montezeuma's  embassy.  Vespus.  Marina. 
Arrest  of  four  Americans  and  two  Dutchmen.  Spanish  treasure.  Consent  of  Santa 
Anna  to  search  for  money.  Arrest  of  Capt.  Place.  Four  days  in  Vera  Cruz.  De- 
parture from  Vera  Cruz.  The  Ladrones.  Description  of  them.  Duplicity  of  the 
Mexicans.     Santa  Anna's  wooden  leg.        .......         41—55 

CHAPTER  IV. 
At  11  o'clock  the  diligencia  in  waiting.  Two  Mexicans  on  the  back  seat.  Refusal  to  give 
it  up  for  a  lady.  Departure  from  Vera  Cruz.  Eseoit.  Sand  flies.  Drifted  sand. 
Large  beetle,  Cocuyos.  Vera  Cruz  road,  the  same  that  Cortes  travelled.  Tierra  ca- 
liente.  Varieties  of  flowers  and  shrubbery.  Sultry  heat.  Halt  of  the  diligencia  at  the 
Rancho.  'I'he  escort  takes  leave.  The  road  paved  like  a  street  upward  of  three  hun- 
dred miles.  President,  Emperor  and  Dictator.  Numerous  bridges.  La  Piienta  del  Ray. 
Breakfast.  Romantic  and  sublime  scenery.  Santa  Anna's  new  building.  First  day's 
ride.  Wild  scenery.  Tierra  templada.  Stately  forest.  Varieties  of  musquite  tree. 
Orizava  is  not  a  part  of  the  Perote  mountains.     Gi-and  view  of  the  Orizava.     The 


X  CONTENTS. 

country  volcanic.  Lai-a.  Ja!ai)a.  Wealili  of  the  Dictator.  The  medicine  .Talapa.  The 
Plaza.  The  hiilies  of  Jalapn.  De|>ai-lurc  from  Jalapa.  Humid  vapours.  Houses  of 
seeds,  slicks  and  earth.  The  aborigines.  Tomb  of  an  old  Spaniard.  Picturesque  scene- 
ry. The  phtin  of  I'crole.  Andes  and  Cordilleras.  Pastoral  country.  Pueblos  built  of 
sun-burnt  brick.  Koman  Catholic  house  of  worship.  The  haciendas.  Ploui^hs  in  Mex- 
ico. Two  pirpetually  snow-capped  peaks.  Arrival  at  Pueblo.  Priests  imposing  on  the 
I>eople.  Cathedral  of  Pueblo.  The  mountains  covered  with  large  timber.  Arrieros. 
Mules  loaded  w  iih  silver.  Valley  of  Mexico.  The  promised  land.  Geography  of  the 
valley  of  Mexico.  A  grand  scene.  Sterility  of  soil.  Lake  region.  Hot  springs.  Vol- 
canic eruptions.  The  causeway.  Environs  of  Mexico.  I.ofty  steeples.  Arrived  at  the 
city  of  Mexico  on  the  2oth  Nov.  Custom-house.  Gran  Sotiedad  and  Holy  Ghost  street. 
56—78 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Overthrow  of  Cortes.  City  of  Mexico.  Receding  of  the  Lake.  View  of  Holy  Ghost 
street.  A  large  Church.  A  Mexican  Lady.  Gen.  Thompson's  residence.  An  elegant 
part  of  the  town.  The  streets  of  Mexico.  Earthquakes.  Style  of  Architecture.  The 
city  of  Mexico.  The  proportion  of  a  Spanish  house.  The  population  of  the  city  of  Mex- 
ico. Gen.  Thompson's  hospitality.  Baron  La  Rook.  The  Plaza.  The  Palace.  The 
Cathedral.  Remarkable  Carriages.  Basalt  Stone.  Interior  of  the  C.ithedral.  Mister 
Oflicer  an  American  artist.  Virgin  of  Remedios.  Tomb  of  Iturbide.  Rarefied  air. 
The  Convent  of  San  Francisco.  The  Government  Palace,  Jlint,  &e.  A  general  officer 
at  the  reception  door.  Capt.  Cortes,  of  the  Grenadiers.  National  Monumei!t.  Iturbide's 
Palace.  Santa  Anna  Theatre.  Numerous  Beggars.  Journeymen  Beggars.  Feats  of 
slix'ngtli.     Dress  of  the  La/.arones.  -  -         -         -  -         •  -         79—93 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Visit  to  the  National  Museum  and  University.  Bronze  statue.  Sacrificial  stone.  Cm-i- 
usiiies  of  savage  antiquity.  Gallery  of  paintings.  Library  room.  Museum  proper. 
Paintings.  Portrait  and  armour  of  Cortes.  Helmet  of  Alvarado.  Giant  of  Jalapa. 
A  miniature  represintation  of  two  silver  mines.  Indian  relics.  Conchology.  Masto- 
don. Santa  Anna's  portrait.  Former  grandeur  of  the  City  of  Mexico.  Montezeuma's 
Menagerie  and  Aviary.  Floating  gardens.  Visit  to  Conde  Peniaske's  private  museum. 
Philosophic  apparatus.  Paintings.  Chinese  transparencies.  Carved  picture.  Bomb 
shell.  Maquey  book.  Crystallization.  Beautiful  lady.  Feast  day  of  Guadaloupe. 
Ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of  rockets  and  cannon.  Going  to  mass.  'Flags.  Picture 
of  the  Virgin  of  Guadaloupe.  Procession.  Joseph,  the  Infant,  the  Virgin  Mary.  The 
multitude  embracing  the  Infant.  Origin  of  the  Virgin  Guadaloupe.  Pueblo  of  Guada- 
loupe. Village  of  mounds.  Multitude  of  people  at  Guadaloupe.  Commercial  booths. 
Dealers  of  .Monie.  Gambling  ])rlests.  Roman  Catholics  of  the  United  States,  Europe, 
and  Mexico.     Habits  of  the  iiriests.     Wealth  of  the  Church  of  Mexico.         -  94—111 

CHAPTER     VII. 

Return  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  The  Theatre.  Four  Theatres  and  one  Plaza  de  los  Tor- 
res. Audience  at  the  Nuavede  Teatro.  The  ladies.  The  Plaza  de  los  Torros.  Audi- 
ence. Drawing  of  a  Lottei-j-  and  Hull-fight.  Cemetery  of  Santa  Paula.  English  have 
the  right  of  burial.  The  Cemeicn-.  The  Cliupel.  Garden.  Flowers.  Vegetables. 
TTie  Portal  Way.  Orange  and  Lemon  trcrs.  Hows  of  boxes.  Coffins  shoved  into 
niches.  Gilt  Frames.  Ornamental  Works.  Lamps.  Mound  of  human  bones.  The 
grave-diggers.  >fonun)ent  to  Santa  Anna's  leg.  Return  from  Santa  Paula.  The  youth 
John  IMl.  'I  he  College  of  Mines.  Arrangement  of  the  rooms  of  the  College.  The 
Cahint  t  of  .Minerals.  Models  of  Machinery.  The  Observatory.  The  Ob-ervatory  pro- 
p<T.  Baron  HumlxiUIt.  Splendid  View.  Chapel.  Politeness  of  John  Hill.  Gaming 
room.  Gambling.  Influence  of  Money.  Public  opinion.  Whitewashing  the  houses. 
Fealt  of  daring  uf  the  Mexicans. 112—127 

?  C  H  A  P  'I  K  R     V  I  1  I 

Ramble  in  the  Alemade.      Circles,  fountain'  and  statues.       Names  of  Hidalgo  and  Iturbide. 

The  rarri«|<»«,  walk»  and   crowdn  of  ladies  with  their  fans.       'J'lie  Pasio.      Fountains  of 

voter.      Slulun  of  the  A/.etie  god«.      Carriages   ]):issing  ti))  and  down.      'I'lie  Cavaliers. 

The  miinag<-m>-nl  and  irappingn  of  the  hori.es.      A  walk  without  the  walls  of  the  city. 

B«>uliful  couutr)  tccuc*.      Clirislntas-ilay  in   Mexico.      Grand  muss  celebrated  at   tliv 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


callifdral.  Crowds  of  people  in  the  Plaza.  Mercliarnlise  of  the  liuckstcrii.  Confused 
scene.  liuJitl's.  Night.  Pine  torches.  Intoxication  hy  drinking  pulque.  Narrow 
escape.  The  cathedral  crowded.  Grand  mass.  Raising  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Splendid 
view  of  the  richness  of  the  cathedral.  HeHections.  The  services  of  the  cathedral  last 
all  night.  Mexican  ladies.  Premature  debility.  Paris  fashions.  The  social  habits  of 
the  ladies.  Couilship  by  letters.  Gentlemen  in  disguise.  Ostentation  at  the  theatre 
and  pasio.  An  English  lady.  Itebo/.oes.  Los  ire.  Festivities  of  Christmas-day. 
The  dictator,  pro  tern.,  and  suite.  Yankee  driver.  The  big  show.  Plaza  de  los  Tor- 
1585.,  Human  affairs.  News  of  a  British  fleet.  Mr.  Doil,  the  British  charge  de  affaires. 
Suspended  relations  of  tlie  two  powers.   False  alarm.    British  jack  on  the  plaza.     128—141 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Indisposition  of  some  of  the  Deputies.  A  failure  of  a  quorum.  The  Deputies  installed. 
Speech  of  Caualizo.  Reply  of  Xinienes.  Celebration  of  the  installation.  How  things 
are  done  in  Mexico.  Worship  of  the  Golden  Sun.  Firing  of  cannon.  Splendid  illumi- 
nation of  the  Cathedral  and  Plaza.  Installation  of  tlie  President  elect.  Canalize,  tlie 
proxy  of  Santa  Anna.  Celebration  of  the  installation  of  the  President.  The  worship  of 
the  Christian,  a  happy  exchange  for  the  native.  Grand  parade  of  all  the  military.  My 
i^tay  in  the  ciiy  of  Mexico.  If  the  will  of  the  people  was  known.  Mr.  Green  gave  me 
notice  not  to  leave  the  city.  Cojiy  of  the  secret  order.  Determined  to  take  the  advice 
of  Gen.  Thompson.  Gen.  Thompson's  negotiation.  My  opinion.  Mexican  persecu- 
tion. Two  Americans  imprisoned  at  Guymas.  Who  are  the  Mexicans  ?  Union  of  the 
European  and  Indian  blood.  Comparative  difference  of  the  Christian  and  Savage  wor- 
ship.  Mild  disposition  of  the  Mexican.  Love  of  country.  The  Mexicans  are  a  motley 
race.  Solemnity  and  sadness  of  countenance.  Mexican  politeness.  Confidence  in  no 
oue  who  cannot  blush.  .........  142—159 


CHAPTER     X. 

Climate  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  The  climate  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  Plains  without 
water.  Artificial  dams.  Monopoly  of  Agriculture.  Interference  of  the  law.  Landed 
estates  of  Mexico.  Table  of  population.  Wealth  of  the  inhabitants.  Majority  of  the 
jieople  in  poverty.  Different  castes.  Want  of  confidence.  Previous  to  the  revolution. 
The  golden  age.  Embezzlement  of  Canalizo.  Products  of  the  Mines.  Solvency  of 
Mexico.  Forced  loans.  Anecdote.  The  people  of  Mexico  easy  to  govern.  A  correct 
idea  of  the  ministry  of  Mexico.  Capt.  Coin.  Deformity  in  Church  as  in  State.  My  in- 
tentions.    The  Bishop  bribed.     Matrimony.     ..----         160—169 


CHAPTER  XI. 
Gratitude  to  T.  Dueoine.  Left  the  city  of  Mexico  the  8th  January.  A  Mexican  passen- 
ger. Attempted  conversation.  Chocolate.  Arrangements.  My  first  day's  journey. 
Extensive  plain.  Mountain  scenery.  Volcanic  eruptions.  Valleys  divested  of  forest. 
The  soil  generally  shallow.  The  rocks.  Haciendas.  Stone  walls.  Orgono  hedges. 
Fields  without  enclosure.  The  manure  of  a  hacienda.  Splendid  scenery.  No  improved 
roads  north.  Natural  ways.  Mijico.  Dined  at  Cula.  Description  of  Dinner.  Chili. 
My  first  night's  lodging.  When  day  dawned.  Tableland.  Arroyo  Zarco.  The  mo- 
ther of  the  driver.  Fast  driving.  Cross-bar  broke.  Ladrones.  San  Juan  del  Rio. 
Conversation  and  smoking  of  two  Mexicans.  View  of  Gueretero.  Aqueduct.  A  priest 
and  the  revolution.  A  walk  at  night.  Plaza  lights.  Lost.  Guitar.  Moonlight. 
Starling  of  the  diligencla.  Ladrones.  Escape.  Celaye.  Monument.  Mexicans  dress- 
ed as  Indians.  The  Pope  and  the  Catholic  religion.  Three  Spaniards  of  old  Spain. 
Language.  Politeness.  Landlord.  Cotton  goods.  Third  day's  travel.  Guanajuato. 
Darkness  of  the  night.  Dinner.  Night's  ramble  in  the  street.  Visit  to  Mexican  ladies. 
Conversation  and  entertainment.  Departure  from  Guanajuato.  Mines  of  Guanajuato. 
Magnifitent  present.  Detection  of  fraud  in  the  Mint.  Level  country.  Siloa.  Leon. 
Arrival  at  Lagos.  Lake  region.  Loss  of  sleep.  Settlements  with  my  Mexican  friend. 
Waked  up  alone.  Chocolate.  Letter  of  introduction.  My  difficulty,  Fruitless  efi'orts 
to  be  understood.  Fortunate  arrival  of  a  Mexican.  Attention  of  the  inhabitants.  Doct. 
Tesus  Anaya.  Interpreter.  A  large  party  of  travellers.  A  party  of  Americans.  Ap- 
pearance of  the  travellers.  Tyler's  message  to  Congress.  Maimer  of  warfare  upon  Mex- 
ico.    No  want  of  water  at  Lagos.     Vegetables  and  fruits.     Bathing.     Walk.     Paintings 


^JJ  CONTENTS. 

of  ihe  houses.  Americnn  negro.  Practice  of  medicine  in  Mexico.  Angel  Gabriel. 
Simon's  wounds.  The  evening  of  the  second  day.  Anival  of  the  diligencia.  An  Ame- 
rican passenger.     Proposed  journey. 170—195 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Departure  from  Lagos.  Chocolate,  cups,  knives  and  forks.  An  American  for  my 
companion.  The  new  plain  called  La  Villita.  The  polite  Frenchman.  The  plain 
of  La  Villita.  Having  arrived  at  La  Villita.  In  towns  in  Mexico.  Public  houses 
called  Mesons.  Furniture.  S])nnish  Caritalia.  My  misfortune.  Hire  a  bed  for  the 
night.  Fondi.  Cook-sho]).  The  rent  of  the  room.  La  Villita.  Departure.  Roads, 
bridges  and  ways.  Wheeled  Vehicles.  Ancient  customs.  The  hacienda  Pennueles. 
The  extensive  fields.  An  artificial  lake.  Arguas  Calientas,  Palace  of  the  Conde  Guad- 
aloupe.  "VVe  were  foreign  padres.  Extravagant  charges.  Italian  Opera  con)i>any.  The 
city  of  Arguas  Calientas.  Cliurchts,  priests,  and  soldiers.  The  case  of  the  white  Jack 
and  the  people.  Decision  of  the  Judge.  American  wagons.  Pleasing  sight.  The 
difierence  between  Mexican  and  American  wagons.  Tlie  Moors  who  invaded  Spain. 
Our  day's  journej".  Dust,  wind.  The  skin.  Display  of  badges.  Our  ride  for  the  most 
of  the  day.  Corn-field.  At  San  Jacinto.  The  Indians.  The  body-guard.  Garrisons 
of  disciplined  regulars.  Conjectures  of  the  people.  Volunteers  of  the  Army.  Her  Bri- 
tannic Majesty  conquering  Mexico.  Servants  sleeping  on  the  hard,  cold  pavement.  The 
American  servants.  Remarks  to  the  Secretary  of  American  Legation.  Hot  sun.  South- 
west winds.  Dishonest  and  barbarous  habits.  The  more  polished  circles.  Swindlers, 
thieves  and  murderers.  John  Uandulph.    Gentlemen  of  character  above  suspicion.  196 — 214 


CHAPTER  XIII 
Del  Refugio.  Flock  of  shef-p.  The  hacienda  Paras.  Ascending  the  Plain.  The  Mexi- 
cans in  the  fields.  Vein  of  silver  on  the  surface.  Abundance  of  silver  ore.  Laws  of 
Mexico  on  Mining.  The  principal  vein  of  silver.  The  appearance  of  the  range  of 
Mountains.  A  large  Convent.  High  wall.  Don  Garcear's  granary.  Battle-ground. 
General  Andrade  Santa  Anna.  Colonel  Harcourt's  defeat  of  the  Zacatecans.  Santa  Anna 
flushed  witli  pride.  Conquest  of  the  United  States  and  Texas.  Napoleon  of  America. 
First  view  of  Zacatecas.  The  streets.  Meson.  The  ,\nlerican  my  interpixter.  An  Irish 
gentlemen.  Many  public  buildings.  La  Parroquia  Convento  de  Muestro  Senora  del 
Peti-ocenis.  The  Saint.  Location  of  the  resident  Saint.  Subject  of  divinity.  Govern- 
ment Palace.  Spanish  Mai-(iuis.  Child  christened.  The  Mint  of  Zacatecas.  Mr.  JoBn 
Scott.  Mexican  horse.  Hacienda  de  BeiK'ficio  Sar.ta  Clement.  Cultivated  gardens. 
Water  from  the  Mines.  Bags  of  hides.  Ropes  of  hide.  Shafts  of  ihe  Mines.  The  ore 
yards.  Labourers.  Captains.  Specimens  of  silver  ore.  Native  silver.  Reflections. 
The  eminence  of  Santa  Clement.  Mountain  and  Valley  Scenery.  Machine  for  pulveri- 
zing oi-e.  One  thousand  bushels  of  ore.  Washing  the  ore.  Examinations  of  the  labour- 
ers.     Thefts.      The  blackleg. 215—233 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
ZacaU'cai.  Cargo  animals  and  cartera.  Much  disappointment.  The  hotel.  Meson  de  la 
Callede  Tacuba.  Confined  atmosphere.  Fire-places  and  stoves.  Ice-creams.  'Ice-makers. 
Objections  to  the  meson.  Poor  fare.  Mules.  Fleas.  >te\icans  do  not  kill  fleas.  New 
home.  No.  4.''.  English  and  .\merican  citi/.ens.  John  Bull.  Minor  nobles.  Merit.  Love 
of  country.  Americans  Mexicanised.  Lion  and  the  unicorn.  Society  of  Zacateca.s.  Party 
of  Americans.  Indian  news.  Bold  resolve.  Narrow  stri-eUs.  Buried  money.  Romance 
of  buried  silver.  Catholic  country.  Tolling  of  bells.  My  ser>-ant.  Region  of  day.  Mex- 
icmn  meiuiis.  Mexicans  do  nut  dine  altogether.  Spanish  gentleman.  Conversation. 
Mexican  lands.  Unujasked  myself.  U.  S.  and  Mexico.  California.  Oppression  of  Ame- 
ricans. Justice  of  my  conclusions.  From  the  position  of  Zacatecas.  Mexico  a  country  of 
great  e\ti  in.  Solu.iiude  of  Gen.  Thompson.  Pleased  with  thefiice  of  the  country.  Alle- 
made  of  Zacatecas.  Monument  to  Signor  Don  Francisco  Garceraer.  Dr.  Jenkins.  Pri- 
•oiicrt.  Public  improvements  in  Mexico.  Punishment  of  crime.  Penitential-;'  system. 
Procntion  of  the  host.  Prostrniiou  of  the  people.  A  friar  and  his  sheep.  Burial  of  the 
dead.  Nephew  of  Col.  Wilcox.  Symein  of  the  Mexican  government.  Iron  of  Zacale- 
ca«.  Revenue  of  the  country.  Ward  the  dictator.  Want  of  fuel.  U.  S.  and  .Mexican 
nianufactureii.     Competition.  ........  234—252 


CONTENTS.  jjjjj^ 


CHAPTER     XV. 

My  inlerpretcr.  Acquainttil  my  interpreter  with  the  knowledge  I  possessed.  His  remon- 
strance. Sliould  depart  in  two  days.  Letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  John  Kimbk.  Let- 
ters of  introduction.  Departed  from  Zacateeas.  Caratilla.  Unmanageable  mule,  Ma- 
lanoche,  the  (had  night  mountain.)  Upsetting  of  caratilla.  My  ribs  injured  and  inter- 
preter's collar-hone  broken.  Confusion.  Ketrograde  motion.  No.  43.  Interpreter  not 
able  for  fatigue.  My  residve.  Second  departure  from  Zacateeas.  Demanded  my  cash. 
Money  missing.  Money  found.  My  journey.  March  to  Frisnillo.  Ride  in  a  Spanish  sad- 
dle. House  of  Mr.  Kimble.  Opinions  of  Mr.  Kimble.  Egregiously  imposed  upo!).  Re- 
commends an  interpreter.  Hacienda  de  la  lieneficio  Minerale.  Expenses.  Crtisliing  ma- 
chine. Grinding-mill.  Great  square.  Quicksilver.  Copper  bell.  Silver  cast  in  solid 
lumps.  Mint.  Weighing  of  the  metal.  The  mines  of  Zacateeas  and  Frisnillo.  Took 
leaveof  Mr.  Kimble.  Lost.  Encounter  with  a  Mexican.  Two  young  men.  My  trou- 
bles. Coffee.  Mr.  K.  and  my  interi)reter.  Interpreter  an  intelligent  man.  Departure 
from  Frisnillo.  Grotesque  appearance.  A  band  of  robbers.  Bones  bleached  on  the 
plains.  Uneasiness  of  my  interpreter.  Round  to  Sain  Alto.  Become  used  to  a  Spanish 
saddle.  Threw  myself  from  my  mule.  Exchange  saddles.  Alcalde's  cane.  Adminis- 
tration of  oaths.  Sufferings  increased.  Eat  heartily  of  Chili.  Sain  Alto.  Dinner. 
Chocolate.  Settlement  of  bill.  Quarrel.  Warm  country.  Maquey.  Pulque.  Three 
men  upon  the  plain.  My  gloves.  Table-land.  A  nipple  of  a  mountain.  Narrow  defile. 
Sonibrereto.     Demanded  water.     Mule  knocked  the  tumbler.      -  .  .  253—270 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

What  direction  I  would  take.  Departure  from  Sombrereto.  Under  much  excitement. 
Fatigue,  hunger  and  thirst.  Hacienda  Campus  de  les  Muleros.  Small  red  wolves. 
Sheep.  Great  house.  Refused  admittance.  Hospitality  of  a  young  Mexican.  His 
wife.  Paixham  balls.  Diversion.  Countryinen  in  pursuit  of  a  lawyer.  Understanding 
of  right  and  wrong.  Servants  feet  locked  under  a  mule.  Many  small  streams.  Unsa- 
tisfied thirst.  Mexicans  never  wash  when  travelling.  La  Ponta.  Proceed  to  San  Casan. 
Arms  discharged.  My  duty.  Corpses  of  two  men.  Travel  1400  miles.  River.  Iron 
furnace.  The  city  of  Durango.  De  la  Santa  Paula  meson.  Breakfast.  Be  Cadena 
Casa.  My  walk.  Two  pla/.as.  Fire  arms.  The  Altemade  of  the  city  of  Durango. 
The  Convento  of  the  patron  Saint.  Durango,  a  Bishopric.  One  of  the  nine  mints.  My 
servant's  comparisons  of  coins.  A  retired  part  of  the  AUemade.  Reflections.  V.ale  of 
delusion.  Civil  without  religious  liberty,  Tom  Paine.  Thomas  Jefferson.  The  great 
silence  of  Mexican  towns.  Ruin  of  400  houses.  Dinner.  Mr.  .lames  More  and  an  Eng- 
ILshman.  Snap  of  a  pistol.  Narrow  escape  of  life.  Mr.  German  Stalknit.  His  mistake. 
Letters  of  introduction.  Signor  Don  FernamJo  Remizes.  Hospitality.  Reflections. 
Dwelling  of  Remizes.  Furniture.  Libraries  of  the  ex-Deputy.  His  character.  Suffra- 
ges for  President.  Introduction.  Liberality.  History  of  the  United  States.  Alicraus. 
Harcourt.  Courtesy  of  the  Governor  of  Durango.  Mr.  ,Iohn  Belden.  The  people  of 
Durango.  Bishop  of  Durango.  The  Bishop's  character.  Cotton  manvifacture  of  the 
Stalknits.  College  of  Durango.  Education.  Change  of  dress.  Best  of  arms.  To  Bi- 
vouac. A  tent.  Letters  of  introduction  from  the  Governor.  Remizes.  Ten  loads  of 
silver. ...  271—291 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Journey  commenced.  Camlno  Real  Cacario.  Dining  and  sleeping,  Sei)aration  from  the 
conductor.  Splendid  view  of  the  valley  Guatemepe.  Animals  feeding  on  the  plain. 
Distance  on  the  table-land  deceiving.  Despatched  my  guide  to  secure  lodgings.  Countess 
of  Guatemepe.  Her  hospitality.  Prayers  and  a  dance.  Departure  for  Chinacates.  Indian 
news.  Dissatisfaction  with  my  interpreter.  My  guide's  rebellion.  Disagreeable  journey. 
Arrival  at  Chinacates.  Six-barrel  pistols.  Ridge  of  the  mountain.  Conversed  with  an 
Englishman.  Mexican artiz.ans.  A  New  Englander.  Disgraceful  transaction.  Santa 
Argo.  Indians  committing  depredations.  Rt  flections.  Solicitude  for  my  men.  Conver- 
sation with  my  interpreter.  San  Dilla.  An  old  Mexican  account  of  the  Indians.  Excite- 
ment in  the  village.  My  servant  Maicelino.  Advice  of  friends.  My  own  deportment. 
Several  small  villages.  Two  mountains.  Want  of  men  at  Catarine.  Indians  who  had  killed 
many  travellers.  Six  mules  loaded  with  dead  men.  Boca  the  mouth.  Notice  not  to  pro- 
ceed farther.  Some  days  delay  at  the  Boca.  Departure  from  the  Boca.  Madre  Montes. 
Separation  from  company.      Bivouac.     Battle  at  night.      March  for  Caneles.      Recovered 


„•   .  CONTENTS. 

XI  V 

from  iiijmics.  Battle  in  tlic  daj\  Death  ofaii  Indian.  None  of  my  men  killiil.  PnrsueU 
niyjoin-ney.  Mountain  scenery  and  travelling.  Karly  history  of  the  eonnhy.  Frost. 
Heath  Caneles.  Curiosities  and  freaks  of  nature.  The  Madre  Monies.  Despatched  my 
guide  to  engage  lodgings.  Disappointment.  Stake  my  tent.  My  interprtter  complains. 
His  suspicions.  Proposition  to  me.  My  refusal.  IJucliltd  on  my  belt.  Fell  asleep.  Mar- 
eelino.  The  ascent  of  the  next  mountain.  Dreadful  sus|)iciun  of  my  interpreter.  Stu- 
pendous scenes  of  nature.  White  bear.  A  mountain  that  overlooked  the  others.  Like 
Balboa  beheld  the  I'acitic.  Extensive  sublimity.  Distant  view  of  Canele*.  Two  little 
boys.      Departed  brother. 292 — 311 

CHAPTER     X  V  1 1  1  . 

My  Srst  object.  An  American  living  at  Caneles.  Interested  with  my  voice.  Develop- 
ment made  by  Marcelino.  Mineral  of  Caneles.  Sublime  view  of  the  scenery  of  Cane- 
lei.  The  climate  of  Caneles.  Mountains  abound  with  silver.  Quicksilver  of  Caneles. 
Mr.  .lohn  Buchan.  governor  of  an  English  company.  Disease  of  goitre.  Doctor  Eberle 
Feelings  of  myself.  Did  not  repose  at  Caneles.  Journey  down  the  Caneles  river.  View 
of  mountain  scenery.  All  nature  in  Mexico  at  war.  Mule  more  sapient  than  a  horse. 
The  town  of  Topic.  Planting  com.  Emerge  from  between  two  Cerroes.  View  of  open 
space  beautiful.  Species  of  birds.  Remarkable  account  of  the  love  of  an  Indian  woman. 
Arrived  at  Tamazula.  Piesident  Victoria.  Hospiuility  of  the  Prefect  and  Curate.  Chil- 
dren of  priests.  Tamazula  river.  Uniaya  river.  Culiacan  river.  Town  of  Cosala. 
Ma/.atalan.  A  voyage  from  China.  Fish  and  oysters.  Guadalou])e  de  Calvo.  English 
silver  mines.  Mountains  abound  in  silver.  Mineral  of  Refugio.  Return  to  the  mineral 
of  Caneles.  Inhabitants  of  the  hot  and  cold  regions.  Difference  of  tem|)erature  of  the 
Pacilic  and  Atlantic  coasts.  Departed  from  Caneles  for  Guanosebi.  Unintelligible  con- 
versation. Met  with  Mr.  Buchan  at  Guanosebi.  Moon-shine  in  Mexico.  A  general,  a 
priest,  and  a  lawyer.    Santa  Anna's  hacienda  campus.     Mexican  attachment.         312—331 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Return  to  Caneles.  Apache  Indians.  Two  small  boy?  of  tender  years.  Commence  my  re- 
turn jnurney.  Manage  two  men  better  tli:in  three  or  six.  Pioneer  round  my  camp.  'I'he 
Madre  Munte  pass.  Ladrones  on  the  way.  How  to  know  ladrones.  Received  at  Duran- 
go.  Mr.  Charles  E.  Bowes.  An  individual  who  has  been  long  from  home.  Two  new  ser- 
vants. Departure  from  Durango.  My  servants  not  good  jiackers.  Arrived  ai  the  hacienda 
campus  de  la  Casa  Blanca.  Irrigating  dam  of  water.  Corn-field.  I'astoral  lands.  Spec- 
ulation in  old  horses.  Purchased  two  pack-mules.  A  mule  runs  away.  A  nearer  and  better 
route.  Storm,  and  hospitality  of  a  Mexican.  Wet  condition  of  my  cargo.  Descending  to 
a  lower  region.  Distress  and  hazard.  Slept  in  a  separate  rancho.  A  signal  given.  Defeat 
of  contemplated  attack.  Arrived  at  the  mineral  town  of  Mafehanla.  Discharged  my  ser- 
vants. Wealthy  Mexican.  An  American.  Summons  before  the  Alcalde.  I'he  law-suit 
determined.  Second  summons  before  the  Alcalde.  I'resenlation  of  my  commission.  News- 
paper from  the  U.  S.  Te.xians.  President 'I'yler.  An  old  Spaniard.  His  daughter.  Fruits 
ar.d  vegetables.  332—347 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Arrieros.  Departiire  from  Matehaula,  Old  Spaniaul  and  my  American  friend.  Picture  of 
the  crucifixion.  Beyond  the  conlines  <jf  the  town,  liiinclio  in  the  defiles  of  two  mountains. 
Opening  of  the  earth.  My  servants  diligent  and  faithful  men.  Rolling  and  wooded  conn- 
try.  One  of  my  men  a  merry  little  fellow.  Expertness  with  the  lasso.  Aherera  a  Spanish 
Jesuit  Arrived  at  the  town  of  Tola.  Fertile  and  hilly  country.  A  mountain  cross.  A  hilly 
uiid  well-walercd  valley.  Splendid  scenery.  A  grotto,  the  residence  of  a  .saint.  Servants 
diiimount.  A  saint  of  Sucono.  The  rainy  season.  Occasional  rains.  ,\rrived  at  ■I'am- 
pico  u  ^nnta  Anna.  Custom-house  ufllcer.  Meson  kept  by  Mons.  Constant  Marcuet. 
Mi-eiing  with  Mr.  John  Fulton.  Situation  of  Tampico.  Houses  and  jilazns.  Santa 
Anna'n  victory.  Capt.  F.  Chase,  U.  S.  Consul.  Texas,  qiitsiion  of  the  ni  xt  session.  Aii- 
nexaiion  ufupptr  California.  Columbia  river.  Rail-rirfid  to  New  Orleans.  Napoleon. 
An  cxaminatiim  of  ilie  map.  I'ublic  lands.  Monopoly  of  commerce.  DiflVrent  connex- 
ions. Annexation  of. Mr.\ico.  Southern  boundary  of  the  L'.  S.  No  limit  to  the  north. 
Hudstm  liay  and  Mi<is»ippi  railroad.  Home  proteeiion.  Free  trade.  Russian  pos- 
kcttiuni. 348—362 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

A  iiaiting  word  to  the  Aiiieros.  Captain  of  liniulitti.  Tlic  Amtrieaii  flag  at  the  niast-liead 
of  a  sclioouer.  Drive  a  barf;;aiii  with  llie  captain.  Mtetinp;  at  tlie  coiisul'ti.  Contract 
concluded.  Returning  home  in  an  American  vessel.  British  steamer.  Set  sail.  Mouih 
of  the  river.  Customhouse  oflicer.  The  vessel  searched.  Officers  take  leave.  Pilot 
takes  us  in  tow.  Narrowly  escajjed  foundering.  Captain  no  gentleman.  Injuries  sus- 
tained hy  my  fellow-couTitrjnien.  Unhappy  feelings.  Resolve.  Same  way  of  defending 
myself  at  si  a  as  on  land.  The  captain  alarmed.  Mr.  Fulton's  enjoyment.  Ha/./.ling 
luminary  of  the  liglu-house.  Waiched  all  night.  Anchored  ofl"  the  Balize.  Endiarka- 
tion  in  a  small  boat.  Perilous  voyage.  The  steamers  that  are  met  at  the  Balize.  Put 
to  sea.  Rudder  lost.  The  southerner.  Consternation.  N.  E.  Pass.  Steamer 
Pha-nix.        -  -  363—370 

A  P  y  E  N  D  I  X  . 

View  of  Oregon.  Description  of  Up])er  and  Lower  California,  with  a  map  of  those  countries. 
Biographies  of  the  Emperor  Don  Augustin  Itnrbide,  and  the  Ex-Dictator  Antonio  Lopez 
De  Santa  Anna,  comprising  vapid  outlines  of  the  political  history  of  Mexico  and  the 
Te.xian  Revolution.        ..........         371—455 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO. 


wvv/A/^'^'"' 


CHAPTER  I. 

My  Journal.  Tlie  plain  and  unsophisticated  nari-atioii  of  facts  is  of  interest  to  the  reader. 
Incidents  as  happening  tlie  more  beautifully  and  naturally  are  illustrative  of  cause  and 
effect.  Commission  by  President  Tyler,  as  Consul  of  the  Port  of  San  Francisco,  Ujiper 
California,  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  Embarked  Oct.  15,  1S43.  Three  casualties  in 
three  months.  First  day's  travel  in  the  Natural  Bridge  Stage.  Arrived,  the  ISlh  instant, 
at  Guyandotte,  on  the  Ohio.  Voyage  down  the  river,  having  a  view  of  several  States 
of  the  Union.  Arrived  at  Cincinnati,  on  the  23d  inst.  Yellow  Fever  in  New  Orleans. 
Determined  to  spend  one  ■week  in  Cincinnati.  Entertained  by  hearing  the  Rev.  Nich- 
olas Cobbs,  D.  D.,  preach.  On  the  29th  inst.  frost  at  New  Orleans.  My  departure 
from  Cincinnati.  Steamer  James  Madison.  On  the  1st  November,  beheld  the  magnificent 
meeting  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers.  On  the  night  of  the  7th  inst.  arrived  in 
sight  of  New  Orleans.     Si)lendid  view  of  the  city. 

Having,  with  care,  kept  my  Journal,  from  the  day  of  my 
departure  from  home,  I  shall,  therefore,  give  it  to  the  world 
in  the  style  of  the  original  manuscript. 

The  plain,  unsophisticated  narration  of  facts,  as  at  the 
moment  noticed  by  the  traveller,  I  have  presumed  to  be  not 
only  the  more  intelligible  to  all,  but  of  greater  interest  to  the 
general  reader. 

The  studied  system  that  some. have  aimed  at,  by  an  over- 
cultivation  of  elegancy  of  diction  and  "  far-fetched"  clas- 
sical illustrations,  have  often  failed  to  entertain  more  than 
the  concise,  connected  history  of  incidents,  which  always 
the  more  beautifully  and  naturally  illustrate  "  cause  and  ef- 
fct,"  and  thus,  by  intuition,  guide  "  the  mind's  eye"  of  the 
peruser  to  see  as  the  tourist  beheld. 

With  such  views  I  shall  endeavour  to  avoid  isolation,  not 
with  the  hope  of  pleasing  the  imagination,  and  affording  a 
banquet  to  the  mind — but  of  offering  that  sohd  fund  of  in- 
2 


jg  TRAVELSIX    MEXICO. 

formation  and  improvement  to  the  examiner,  by  a  detail  of 
facts  that  he  had  most  fondly  hoped  for. 

Having  been  commissioned  by  his  Excellency  President 
Tyler,  Consul  of  the  Port  of  San  Francisco,  Upper  Cali- 
fornia, in  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  and  having  been  pre- 
sented with  the  accustomed  documents  and  despatches  to 
the  resident  Minister  of  the  American  Legation  at  the  city 
of  Mexico,  I,  without  delay,  bade  adieu,  on  the  15th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1843,  to  many  friends,  and  the  place  of  my  nativity, 
Lynchburg,  Va.,  for  New  Orleans,  the  distant  port  of  my 
embarkation. 

Being  by  nature  of  a  domestic  predominancy  of  habit,  I 
ever  had  an  aversion  to  long  journeys,  the  more  especially 
by  stage  coaches ;  for  it  almost  invariably  happened  that, 
whenever  I  attempted  that  mode  of  travel,  some  misfortune 
would  of  consequence  befall,  for  the  occurrences  of  horses 
by  fright  running  down  hills  and  precipitous  mountains,  and 
in  some  instances  upsetting  in  terrific  ways ;  from  which, 
although  my  life  lias  been  spared,  yet  often  left  me  with 
bruised  and  mangled  limbs.  Indeed,  the  several  casualties 
of  three  overturnings  in  stage  coaches,  the  running  off  of 
the  cars  from  a  railroad  track,  and  a  storm  at  sea,  in  a 
steamboat,  off  the  coast  of  Cape  Hatteras,  and  that  too  all 
in  the  short  space  of  three  months,  had  almost  impressed 
my  mind  with  presentiments  of  dangers  to  be  encountered 
by  travelling. 

However,  my  first  day's  travel  on  my  way  to  the  West, 
was  a  very  pleasant  one,  in  the  Natural  Bridge  stage :  it 
thus  continued  until  the  evening  of  the  18th  inst.,  when  I 
arrived  at  the  town  of  Guyandotte,  on  the  Ohio  river ;  and, 
as  I  followed  my  baggage  on  board  of  a  steamboat  that  was 
in  waiting  for  passengers,  and  ascended  its  upper  deck  to 
take  a  last  look  at  the  distant  mountains  of  my  native  State, 
over  which  I  had  so  recently  passed,  and  which  were  then, 
amidst  volumes  of  smoke,  and  the  harsh  sonorousness  of 
escaping  steam,  fast  receding  from  view,  my  bosom  was 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jq 

enlivened  with  feelings  which  were  never  before  felt,  and 
my  mind  could  not  but  be  filled  with  admiration  and  many 
reflections,  as  I  voyaged  down  the  beautiful  river  for  the 
first  time,  beholding  upon  both  sides  different  States  of  the 
Union. 

Upon  my  arrival  at  Cincinnati,  on  the  22d  inst.,  I  was 
informed  by  passengers  who  had  just  arrived  at  that  place 
from  New  Orleans,  that  the  yellow  fever,  notwithstanding  the 
lateness  of  the  season,  was  yet  raging  in  that  city,  insomuch 
that  it  would  be  considered  very  hazardous  for  one  from 
so  far  north  as  I  was,  to  venture,  where  disease  and  death 
w^ere  devastating  the  place.  I  therefore  determined  to 
spend  one  week  in  the  pleasant  city  of  Cincinnati,  the  famed 
"  Queen  of  the  West." 

Whilst  at  Cincinnati,  my  time  was  engaged  with  much 
interest  during  my  stay ;  and  I  may  also  add  that  a  portion 
of  it  was  profitably  as  well  as  agreeably  entertained,  by 
hearing  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Cobbs,  D.  D.,  of  the  English 
Episcopal  denomination,  preach  at  his  church  of  Saint 
Paul's.  Dr.  Cobbs  is  a  native  of  Bedford  county,  Virginia, 
and  during  his  residence  there  I  had  often  heard  his  impres- 
sive eloquence.  But  the  reverend  clergyman  having  been 
called  to  minister  in  holy  things  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati, 
without  my  knowledge,  I  cannot  express  my  felicitous  en- 
joyment, upon  the  eve  of  my  embarking  to  a  strange  land, 
seated  as  I  then  was,  under  the  voice  of  one  whose  piety 
I  so  much  respected,  inviting  me  in  sweet  tones,  and  in 
manner  and  language  the  most  persuasivcj  to  the  realms  of 
bliss. 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th  instant,  news  having  reached 
Cincinnati  that  welcome  Jack  Frost  had  visited  the  city 
of  New  Orleans,  I  found  hundreds  who  like  myself  had  but 
impatiently  awaited  tidings  of  that  hoary  benefactor  of  the 
human  species,  previous  to  embarking  for  that  port — for  with 
him  for  our  pioneer,  we  could  with  bold  hearts  penetrate 
the  lower  country,  as   pestilence   and  death   always  fled 


20  TRAVELS    I  \    MEXICO. 

from  his  cold  and  purifying  touch.  I  therefore,  without  de- 
lay, hastened  on  board  the  James  Madison,  a  boat  of'the 
first  class,  Captain  J.  Fulton,  master,  bound  for  New  Or- 
leans, which,  by  the  early  hour  of  10  o'clock,  A.  M-,  had  all 
of  its  state  rooms  taken ;  and,  when  night  came,  there  was 
scarcely  room  upon  the  cabin  floor  for  weary  passengers  to 
repose  their  bodies. 

JNIy  journey  again  commenced  upon  the  deep,  expansive, 
and  lengthened  Ohio.  It  was  with  feelings  of  much  grati- 
fication that,  upon  the  1st  day  of  November,  at  Cairo,  I  for 
the  first  time  beheld  one  of  the  sublimest  scenes  to  be  wit- 
nessed in  America — the  majestic  meeting  of  the  great  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers;  and,  as  I  looked  upon  the  union 
of  the  waters  of  the  West,  which  were  in  one  common  an- 
gry and  turbulent  element  beneath  me,  rushing  on  with 
maddening  fury  to  a  vast  and  common  home  in  the  mighty 
deep,  my  mind  could  but  be,  in  the  spectacle,  taught  a  les- 
son of  the  onward  tendency  of  all  things ;  for  man,  with 
accumulated  years,  and  with  many  tributary  cares,  is  too 
rajiidly,  with  an  irresistible  career,  floating  downwards  to 
the  vast  ocean  of  eternity. 

On  the  night  of  the  7th  insU,  the  James  Madison  arrived 
in  sight  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of  about 
two  thousand  miles  from  the  port  of  Guyandotte,  Va.  I 
could  but  consider  my  arrival  at  that  city,  at  that  late  hour, 
fortunate,  as  New  Orleans  cannot  be  seen  under  a  more  fa- 
vourable aspect,  than  by  approaching  it  under  the  cover  of 
darkness.  I  beheld,  as  the  boat  rapidly  advanced,  an  exten- 
ded (juarter  of  a  circle,  of  about  two  miles  in  length,  thickly 
lined  with  the  floating  palaces  of  the  West,  and  then  with 
the  shipping  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  steamboats 
a  blaze  of  light  from  stem  to  stern — some  letting  off  their 
steam  with  deafening  noise,  whilst  some  were  extinguishing 
their  fires  with  hissing  sounds,  as  the  water  was  thrown  upon 
the  red  hot  brands  under  the  boilers ;  whilst,  at  the  same 
time,  liizhts  from  tlic  decks  and  the  cabin  windows  of  the 


i 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


21 


shipping,  extended  an  illumination,  until  it  was  lost  in  distant 
littleness ;  from  which  lurid  glare  Jack  tar,  with  merry  laugh 
and  song,  could  be  seen  and  heard  furling  his  sail  and  tackle, 
above  the  shouts  of  porters,  and  the  rattling  of  drays  and 
hacks;  when  far  above  the  levee,  the  innumerable  lights  of 
the  tall  houses  of  the  city,  shed  a  halo  of  brilliancy  over  a 
scene  the  equal  of  which  I  had  never  before  beheld,  and 
which,  when  taken  altogether,  really  presented  to  the  eye  a 
magnificent  crescent,  adorned  with  sparkling  scintillating 
gems.  And  thus,  most  apropos,  has  the  city  of  New  Or- 
leans been  denominated  the  "  Crescent  Citv." 


09  TRAVELS   IX   MEXICO. 


CHAPTER  II. 

visited  Collector  of  tlie  Port.-  His  kind  attention.  Engnged  passage  on  the  schooner 
Amazon  for  Vera  Cruz.  Reception  by  the  Mate.  Destined  to  lodge  in  the  Ladies'  Cabin. 
Confusion  of  the  Mate  by  the  Captain's  arrival.  His  hospitality.  Towed  by  the  Arkan- 
sas. Detained  by  a  fog.  The  tow  drifted.  Tlie  Steamer  by  a  backward  revolution 
came  stem  upon  the  broadside  of  the  Amazon.  Much  damage  sustained.  Ca])t.  Harding 
in  a  passion.  We  sail  fur  Balize.  The  Captain  leaves  the  Amazon  and  returns  with  a 
Pilot.  We  again  set  sail.  Meeting  of  the  Mississipj)!  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Cast  an- 
chor at  the  mouth  of  the  Pass.  Dejjarlure  of  the  Pilot,  and  his  rescue  from  drowning. 
Out  of  sight  of  land.  The  Captain's  indisposition.  A  stomi  at  sea.  A  man  lost.  View 
of  the  Perote  mountains.  A  calm.  Catching  Fish.  The  Oi-izava.  By  telescope  viewed 
the  port  of  Vera  Cruz.  Boarded  by  a  Pilot.  Anchored  under  the  walls  of  San  .luaii  de 
Ulloa.  Disembarked  from  the  Amazon  for  the  Mole.  Novel  sights.  First  night  in  Vera 
Cruz.     Description  of  Vera  Cruz.     Healthof  Vera  Cruz.     Northers. 

0.\  the  morning  of  llic  8lh  of  November,  I,  without  de- 
lay, visited  Mr.  Dorsey,  the  Collector  of  the  Customs  at 
the  Port  of  New  Orleans,  a  gentleman  with  whom  I  had  to 
transact  some  public  business.  And  here  I  cannot  refrain 
from  saying  that  Mr.  Dorsey,  who  had  then  been  but  recent- 
ly appointed  Collector,  had,  by  his  indefatigable  industry, 
won  the  esteem  of  all  who  had  done  business  with  him  ;  and 
for  the  interest  he  exhibited  in  forwarding  me  in  my  prepa- 
ration for  my  journey  to  Mexico,  I  shall  ever  feel  grateful. 

Through  Mr.  D.  I  w^as  informed  that  the  schooner  Ama- 
zon was  the  only  vessel  in  port  taking  in  freight,  bound  for 
Vera  Cruz,  and  would  sail  upon  the  evening  of  the  9th  inst. 
I  therefore  did  not  hesitate,  tln'ough  the  house  of  Messrs. 
Capdervill  &  Cucullu,  who  were  owners  of  the  schooner, 
to  secure  my  passage ;  and  having  completed  all  of  my 
other  arrangements  in  the  city,  I  accordingly,  uj)on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  9th,  that  having  been  the  appointed  time  for  the 
sailing  of  the  Amazon,  sent  my  baggage  aboard  of  her, 
where  I  soon  followed. 

Upon  my  arrival  on  deck  of  the  little  vessel,  for  it  was 
only  of  ninety  tons  burthen,  the  captain  being  absent,  the 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 


23 


mate,  a  stupid  looking  fellow,  conducted  me  into  the  cabin, 
a  place  six  feet  by  ten  in  size  ;  and,  as  I  have  since  imagined, 
fearing  that  he  would  have  to  give  up  his  own  berth  to 
either  myself  or  some  other  pasisengers  of  the  Amazon, 
at  once  inquired  of  me  if  I  had  consulted  the  captain  as  to 
where  I  was  to  sleep  ;  at  the  same  time  pointing  to  the  right 
hand,  and  saying  that  that  was  the  captain's  berth,  and  in- 
forming me  that  that  was  his,  to  the  opposite,  on  the  left. 
After  thanking  the  mate  for  his  kind  intelligence,  and  decli- 
ning all  intention  of  depriving  either  himself  or  the  captain 
of  their  berths,  he  then  invited  me  into  the  aft  cabin,  or 
ladies'  apartment,  as  he  called  it,  at  the  same  time  showing 
me  a  low  small  door  on  the  left,  whilst  he  proceeded  to  open 
one  on  the  right.  I  accepted  his  invitation,  by  stooping 
about  one  half,  and  passing  through  the  door  to  the  stern  of 
the  schooner.  The  kind  and  polite  mate  unnecessarily  in- 
vited me  to  take  a  seat,  for  it  was  impossible  to  have  oc- 
cupied any  other  than  an  inclined  or  sitting  posture.  The 
mate  having  located  himself  opposite  to  me,  in  a  m.ost  ludi- 
crous manner  began  to  expostulate  upon  the  mode  of  sea 
travelling,  and  was  winding  up  his  lucid  and,  as  he  thought, 
interesting  description  of  a  life  upon  the  sea,  by  informing 
me  that  the  apartment  we  then  occupied  was  the  most  desi- 
rable of  any  aboard  the  vessel,  and  was  exclusively  designed 
for  the  ladies  ;  although  at  the  moment  I  could  not  discover 
a  particle  of  bed  or  bedding,  but,  to  the  contrary,  the  little 
place  seemed  to  be  crammed  with  kegs  of  crackers,  demi- 
johns, old  clothing,  besides  many  other  articles  of  ship 
stores ;  and  as  the  mate  was  continuing  to  say,  that,  as  he 
had  no  doubt  but  that  I  was  a  gentleman,  he  should  not,  on 
his  part,  hesitate  to  put  me  in  with  the  ladies,  if  there  should 
be  any,  to  take  passage  on  board  of  the  Amazon.  How- 
ever, it  happened  that  just  at  that  moment,  when  I  had  con- 
cluded that  I  was  destined  to  be  obliged  to  lodge  with  the 
ladies,  in  so  small  a  chamber,  the  good  and  merry  little  Cap- 
tain Harding  came  hastily  down  the   stairway  of  the  gen- 


24  TRAVELS    r\    MEXICO. 

llemen's  cabin,  and  called  aloud  for  his  mate  in  a  true 
seamanlike  manner.  JMr.  Holmes  appeared  to  be  as  much 
alarmed  as  confused,  and  hesitatingly  responded  to  his  su- 
perior officer;  and  as  the  mate  was  making  his  exit  from 
the  ladies'  apartment  into  the  gentlemen's  cabin,  the  cap- 
tain demanded  the  reason  of  his  coming  out  of  that  place? 
when  Mr.  Holmes  informed  him  that  he  was  only  showing 
one  of  the  passengers  the  berths  of  the  ladies'  cabin,  so  that 
he  might  make  choice  of  one  previous  to  any  of  them  com- 
ing on  board.  Capt.  Harding  seemed  to  be  exasperated  at 
what  the  mate  had  said — and  remarked,  that  the  ladies, 
dear  things,  had  always  been  welcome  to  his  berth,  as  it 
was  the  best  aboard  the  Amazon.  "  There,  Sir,"  turning 
to  myself,  who  by  this  time  was  standing  in  the  gentle- 
men's cabin,  "  you  shall  have  my  berth.  Sir,  as  it  has  the 
only  good  feather  bed  aboard,  and  I  shall  sleep  in  yours, 
mate :  so  that  you  had  better  be  looking  out  in  time  for  a 
choice  berth  in  the  ladies'  cabin,  hah  !"  Capt.  Harding  then 
called  his  steward,  and  ordered  him  to  spread  the  table 
with  wines,  sardines,  cheese,  crackers,  and  cigars ;  and  a 
jolly  lime  myself  and  Mr.  Duncan,  who  had  by  this  time 
arrived,  and  the  only  other  passenger,  had  with  the  merry 
little  Captain  Thomas  Harding. 

It  was  not  until  5  o'clock  in  the  evening,  that  the  steamer 
Arkansas  took  the  Amazon  in  tow.  The  steamer  had  at 
each  side  of  her  a  large  ship,  and  the  Amazon  constituted 
the  sixth  in  number  of  the  schooners  that  were  fastened  by 
long  cables  to  the  stern  of  the  Arkansas.  The  tow  having 
then  secured  its  full  complement  of  vessels,  it  proceeded 
down  the  Mississippi  river.;  and  a  hard  time  we  had  of  it, 
for  we  had  not  been  under  way  more  than  two  hours  be- 
fore the  fog  became  so  dense  that  the  tow  had  to  cast  an- 
chor, and  was  unable  to  make  head  before  daylight  the 
following  morning,  when  we  raised  steam  and  started  ; 
})Ut  again,  at  i)  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  were  stopped 
by  the  f..'_r.  jicing  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the  Balize ; 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 


25 


and  at  half-past  6  o'clock,  on  the  following  morning,  the 
mate  of  the  Amazon,  Mr.  Holmes,  informed  the  mate  of 
the  Arkansas  that  the  tow  was  adrift,  and  told  him  to  get 
steam  up  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and  owing  to  the  mismanage- 
ment of  the  tow-boat,  in  the  hurry  and  alarm  of  the  mo- 
ment, a  backward  revolution  was  given  to  the  wheel,  which 
caused  the  steamer  and  one  of  the  ships  to  come  astern 
upon  our  broadside,  and  crowded  the  Amazon  hard  upon 
the  bank,  which  broke  our  starboard  rail  abreast  the  main- 
mast, and  four  of  the  stauncheons  and  bulwarks,  strained 
our  main  rigging,  broke  our  larboard  cat-head  bow-rail, 
carried  away  our  jib-stay,  and  caused  us  to  sustain  several 
other  lighter  damages  forward.  As  for  myself,  I  had  not 
at  that  hour  arisen,  yet  from  the  forcibleness  of  the  con- 
cussion of  the  tow  against  our  vessel,  I  was  violently 
thrown  from  my  berth  on  to  the  floor  of  the  cabin,  where 
indeed  I  did  not  tarry,  but  recovering  myself  I  hastened 
on  deck,  where  luckily  I  had  just  arrived  in  time  to  wit- 
ness, for  the  first  time,  a  sea  captain  in  a  passion ;  and  I 
can  with  truth  say,  that  I  had  no  idea  that  so  small  a  man 
as  Captain  Harding  had  as  strong  a  pair  of  lungs,  or  such 
fluency  of  language.  The  Captain  of  the  Arkansas  request- 
ed the  Captain  of  the  Amazon  to  let  go  the  hawser ;  but 
the  angry  little  Harding  peremptorily  refused ;  saying  that 
he  should  nor  let  it  go  until  the  steamer  had  hauled  his 
windlass  and  foremast  out  of  his  vessel,  for  he  did  not 
think  of  being  left  in  distress.  However,  the  Captain  of 
the  Arkansas  ordered  his  men  to  cut  the  hawser,  and  the 
Amazon  swung  round,  whilst  the  tow  was  getting  out  her 
anchors,  which  being  done,  the  Amazon  heaved  the  hawser 
again,  and  was  towed  by  her  about  five  miles  ;  but  the 
steamer  getting  along  so  slowly  with  but  one  wheel,  the 
other  having  become  disabled,  Capt.  Harding  thought  it  best 
to  cut  off  from  her,  and  accordingly  we  made  sail  for  the 
Balize,  which  we  reached  on  the  11th  inst.;  and,  notwith- 
standing the  schooner  had  received  considerable  damage, 


26 


TRAVELS   I\  MEXICO. 


yet  I  determined  to  proceed  on  my  voyage  with  the  brave 
httle  Captain  of  the  Amazon. 

Ui)on  my  arrival  at  the  BaUze,  it  was  with  much  regret 
that  I  learned  that  Mr.  John  Duncan  would  go  no  farther; 
for  I  found,  on  my  short  acquaintance  with  him,  a  most 
interesting  travelling  companion.  Mr.  Duncan  had  won  my 
friendly  feelings,  and  I  had  hoped  that  the  tedium  of  a  sea 
voyage  would  have  been  whiled  away  in  the  pleasant  soci- 
ety of  a  fellow  countryman.  It  is  to  those  alone  whose 
misfortune,  or  peculiar  condition,  can  with  deep  sensibility 
feel  the  solace  of  friendship,  which  agreeably  to  the  com- 
mon acceptation  of  the  word,  as  the  poet  has  called  it  "  but 
a  name ;"  and  as  an  unremembered  author,  I  think,  remarks, 
"  The  hopes  that  are  formed  but  to  be  disappointed ;  the 
disappointments  which  are  in  reality  blessings ;  the  long- 
ings fur  that  which  would  prove  destructive ;  the  joys  that 
kill,  and  the  sorrows  that  make  alive,  can  only  be  condoled 
with  and  enjoyed  alone,  but  by  the  participation  of  friend- 
ship." I  am  not  one  of  those  who  believe  that  the  better 
feelings  of  the  human  heart  should  be  alienated  from  his 
fellow  beings,  because  there  are  some  false  friends ;  but, 
to  the  contrary,  think  that  there  is  much  reward  in  even  a 
casual  or  partial  unison  with  others;  although,  ultimately, 
the  object  of  our  love  or  friendship  should  prove  false  or 
coquetish.  It  therefore  cannot  be  surprising  that  I,  w'ith 
much  lively  sensibility,  bade  adieu  to  my  friend,  for  he 
was  the  only  American  of  whom  I  could  at  that  time  take 
leave  ;  and,  in  doing  so,  I  felt  that  the  last  link  had  been  bro- 
ken between  myself  and  my  fellow  citizens  of  the  United 
States. 

True  to  the  adage,  that  the  "  loss  of  one  is  the  gain 
of  another,"  for  I  perceived  the  captain,  who  had  gone 
ashore,  returning,  having  in  his  boat  two  strangers,  whom 
I  hoped  were  passengers,  and  indeed,  it  resulted  in  the  fact 
that  when  they  came  on  board,  one  of  them,  Mr.  James 
Duplessis,  was  bound  for  Mexico.     All  being  on  board,  and 


.  TRAVELS  IN  MP:X  ICO.  27 

the  pilot  waiting,  the  Amazon  weighed  anchor,  and  we 
again  sailed  for  the  Gulf,  by  the  way  of  the  N.  E.  Pass. 
When  we  had  arrived  there,  a  most  singular  phenomenon 
was  to  be  witnessed ;  for  as  the  Mississippi  river,  which 
had  for  more  than  two  thousand  miles  irresistibly  swept 
every  thing  before  it,  mingling  in  its  muddy  and  rapid  cur- 
rent alike  the  forest  and  the  "  terra  firma,"  yet  as  it  met 
its  mother  ocean  it  was,  with  a  degree  of  modesty  unex- 
pected— for  just  where  the  river  mouthed  against  the  sea, 
there  seemed  to  be  a  perfect  line  of  demarcation  between 
the  dark  waters  of  the  river,  and  the  clear,  deep,  blue,  salt 
element ;  notwithstanding  the  river  came  rushing,  as  long 
as  confined  between  banks,  with  bounding  wave  and  foam- 
ing surge,  yet  as  it  breasted  the  sea,  all  was  calm  and  tran- 
quil ;  for  the  waters  of  the  mighty  deep  held  it  back  as  but  a 
thing  of  nothing,  and  the  salt  flood  of  the  Gulf  seemed  to 
spurn  an  union  with  its  kindred  element  of  the  river,  for  it 
could  not  be  perceived  just  at  the  juncture,  that  there  was 
a  mingling  of  the  two ;  but  the  pilot  informed  me  that 
the  current  was  supposed  to  be  the  strongest  at  the  bottom 
of  the  river,  and,  by  that  means,  was  lost  in  the  ocean. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  N.  E.  Pass,  the  Amazon  again  cast 
anchor,  for  there  the  pilot,  Capt.  John  Brown,  was  to  part 
with  us ;  as  also  Dr.  G.  A.  Bernard,  who  had  accompanied 
his  friend,  Mr.  Duplessis,  thus  far;  likewise,  Mr.  Duncan, 
who  was  to  return  with  the  Doctor,  in  Capt.  Brown's  boat. 

As  on  this  occasion  there  were  more  than  myself  to  take 
leave  of  friends  and  fellow  countrymen,  some  time  was 
spent  in  many  parting  words,  and  aspirations  for  a  happy 
and  safe  voyage.  At  length,  the  wine  glass  having  passed 
around,  and  as  Captain  Brown  had,  in  a  most  cordial  man- 
ner, shaken  my  hand,  and  turned  to  descend  the  side  of  the 
vessel  to  his  boat,  which  was  alongside,  the  captain,  from 
some  unperceived  cause,  was  precipitated  head  foremost 
overboard  into  the  sea.  He  was  long  out  of  sight,  and  to 
us  all  it  seemed  an  age;  at  length  all  observed  the  troubling 


23  TRAVELS   IX   M  EX  ICO. 

of  the  water,  and  with  animated  hopes  we  expected  to  be- 
hold the  Captain :  but  suddenly  our  joy  was  chagrined  by 
the  appearance  of  a  huge  nionster  of  a  Porpoise,  who,  rising 
almost  out  of  the  water,  and  giving  one  of  his  well  known 
rotary  evolutions,  again  disappeared.  But  Captain  Brown 
did  not  tarry  longer,  for  no  sooner  had  the  Porpoise  been 
lost  to  our  sight  than  the  Captain  rose  to  the  surface,  and, 
as  I  at  that  moment  caught  his  eye,  I  never  shall  forget  the 
expression  of  despair  depicted  upon  his  countenance.  My 
friend,  Mr.  John  Duncan,  having  leaped  from,  the  deck  of 
the  Amazon  into  the  pilot  boat,  grasped  the  captain  with  his 
right  hand  and  lifted  him  on  board.  Captain  Brown,  being 
saved  from  a  watery  grave,  remarked  that,  notwithstanding 
he  had  fallen  overboard,  he  had  waked  up  the  largest  Por- 
poise that  he  had  ever  seen;  and  again,  an  affectionate  leave 
having  been  taken,  the  Amazon  weighed  anchor,  and  spread 
her  canvass  to  a  fair  wind.  In  a  few  hours  we  were  carried 
beyond  the  sight  of  land. 

We  had  been  at  sea  but  three  days,  when  it  was  with 
much  regret  I  perceived  that  my  accommodating  little  Cap- 
tain Harding  was  confined  to  his  bed,  from  severe  indis- 
position, and  my  time  was  mainly  occupied  in  watching  his 
sick  couch,  which  afforded  me  much  pleasure,  as  the  de- 
portment of  the  captain  so  entirely  differed  from  what  I  had 
understood  to  be  the  character  of  sea  captains;  and  I  could 
not  consent  that  a  polite  and  good  man  should  suffer  in  hours 
of  extremity.  But  as  I  occasionally  felt  some  symptoms  of 
sea-sickness,  by  confinement  below,  it  was  my  habit,  in  ac- 
companiment with  Mr.  Duplessis,  a  very  intelligent  and 
agreeable  gentleman,  from  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  in  the 
lapse  of  the  evening  to  sit  on  deck,  for  at  that  hour  the 
parching  sun  had  lost  half  its  power,  and  the  delightful  sea- 
breeze  was  most  congenially  refreshing  to  the  traveller  pri- 
soned in  so  small  a  compass  as  we  had, to  occupy. 

It  was  on  the  lovely  evening  of  the  L5th  inst.,  when  seated 
on  the  deck  as  above  described,  the  wind  continuing  fair. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  on 

and  the  Amazon  rapidly  splitting  the  waves,  that  I  cast 
my  eyes  around  upon  the  broad  expanse  of  waters  that  en- 
circled me,  and  then  to  the  heavens  above,  when  my  atten- 
tion was  fixed  upon  an  extended  cloud  far  to  the  westward, 
and  so  perfect  was  the  representation  that,  in  the  forgctful- 
ness  of  the  moment,  I  really  imagined  that  I  beheld  the  Blue 
Ridge  mountain,  with  its  two  high  peaks  of  Otter ;  and,  as 
I  looked  upon  the  view,  my  bosom  not  only  glowed  with 
admiration,  but  was  filled  with  joy  at  an  aspect  familiar  to 
me  from  my  earliest  infancy — and  I  could  but  exclaim, 
*'  Behold  the  Blue  Ridge  mountain ;  my  own  native  sce- 
nery!" My  exclamation  attracted  the  attention  of  all  who 
were  near  me,  and  as  neither  passenger  nor  crew  had  ever 
beheld  the  beautiful  sight  of  that  lovely  mountain,  I  was 
called  on  to  describe  the  resemblance;  and  at  once,  with 
an  eagerness  that  would  have  surprised  any  individual  fa- 
miliar with  the  mountains  of  Virginia,  I  commenced  the 
task.  But,  before  completing  the  description,  my  attention 
was  arrested  from  my  delightful  theme  by  the  increased 
violence  of  the  wind,  accompanied  by  that  whizzing,  whis- 
thng  sound  in  its  passage  through  the  rigging  of  the  vessel, 
which  to  a  landsman  is  not  only  startling,  but  really  makes 
his  hair  stand  on  end.  The  mate  having  given  the  alarm, 
by  shouting  out  "  a  Norther,"  a  storm  much  more  dcstruc 
tive  than  any  other  wind  that  sweeps  the  Mexican  Gulf, 
and  which  is  always  periodical  in  the  months  of  October 
and  November.  My  attention  having  been  thus  diverted, 
and  feeling  filled  with  apprehensions,  I  at  once  determined 
to  go  below,  discovering  as  I  did  that  I  was  in  much  danger, 
it  then  being  night,  by  the  swinging  of  the  boom,  as  well  as 
by  the  sweeping  of  the  tackling  of  the  vessel  over  the  deck ; 
and  that  intention  was-  also  hastened  by  the  sudden  heavy 
fall  of  rain.  And  thus,  but  a  few  minutes  previous,  little 
did  I  think  that,  in  the  playfulness  of  my  tJioughts,  whilst 
resembling  a  cloud  to  a  mountain,  it  was  pregnant  with  a 
storm  so  soon  to  be  avalanched  upon  us.     Having  reached 


3Q  TRAVELS   IX   MEXICO. 

the  cabin,  I  soon  felt  my  sickening  sensations  returning,  by 
the  increased  and  more  violent  motion  of  the  vessel,  and  I 
accordingly  climbed  into  ray  berth,  for  repose  always  re- 
lieved me  from  any  nauseating  feelings  I  might  have  expe- 
rienced from  sea-sickness.  I  had  not  long  occupied  my 
berth,  \vhen  b}-  the  activity  evinced  by  the  crew,  as  well  as 
from  the  violence  with  which  the  angry  waves  w'ould 
beat  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  that  a  storm  of  no 
ordinary  character  was  raging.  After  I  had  listened  some 
time  to  the  loud  and  quick  commands  of  the  mate,  that  per- 
sonage at  length  appeared  in  despair,  and  informed  Captain 
Harding  that  a  Norther  was  raging,  and  that  he  would  be 
glad  if  he  would  come  on  deck,  or  else  tell  him  what  to  do. 
The  captain  was  at  that  time  laying  in  his  berth  beneath 
my  own,  where  he  had  been  confined  for  the  last  three  days, 
from  an  accidental  blow^  he  had  received,  beinsj  so  disabled 
that  he  could  but  with  difficulty  get  in  and  out  of  it.  He, 
therefore,  could  only  reply  to  his  mate  that  he  must  do  the 
best  he  could,  and  keep  all  hands  busy.  It  was  not  long 
after  the  mate  had  returned  to  his  command,  before  I  was 
alarmed  by  hearing  all  on  deck  utter  the  shout  of  land ! 
land !  and  the  mate  soon  ordered  the  long-boat  to  be  lower- 
ed. As  the  crew  were  busied  in  obeying  the  order,  and 
having  myself  ascended  the  gangway,  it  was  at  that  mo- 
ment exclaimed,  "  A  man  overboard  !"  and  the  mate  in  the 
next  instant  responded,  "  He  is  lost !  he  is  lost !  Heave 
away,  men  !"  I  could  not  but  feel  the  deepest  sorrow  for 
the  fate  of  the  poor  sailor,  and  again  returned  to  my  berth 
to  meet  my  own,  whatever  it  might  be,  by  the  hands  of  a 
kind  and  divine  Providence.  But  by  his  will  we  were 
saved,  and  the  vessel  preserved  harmless  from  wind  and 
wave;  fur'as  the  long-boat  had  been  let  down,  as  a  last 
resort,  in  case  the  schooner  had  been  cast  ashore,  or  driven 
on  a  rock,  the  wind  by  degrees  ceased  to  blow.  At  the  dawn 
of  day  as  the  sailors,  by  command,  proceeded  to  raise  the 
long-boat,  which  was  still  at  our  side,  the  silence  and  sO' 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N'  M  E  X  I  C  O  .  3  j 

Icmnity  of  the  occasion  evidently  deaionstrated  that  poor 
Will,  whd  was  lost,  was  remembered  by  all. 

But  as  the  sun  ascended  out  of  the  sea,  and  lit  up  the 
eastern  horizon,  sublime  indeed  was  the  scene  presented  to 
our  view ;  for  whilst  on  the  left  was  discovered  a  boundless 
expanse  of  water — to  the  right,  arose,  from  the  margin  of 
the  sea,  the  lofty,  range  of,  as  the  captain  of  the  Amazon 
called  them,  the  Pcrote  mountains,  which,  as  I  was  inform.- 
ed,  were  of  a  general  elevation  of  about  tv/elvc  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  Gulf.  The  mountains  presented 
a  dark,  blackish  appearance,  being  covered  with  forest  as 
well  as  I  could  at  the  distance  discover,  on  their  lower  re- 
gions. The  scene  was  a  most  picturesque  and  congenial 
one  to  me ;  for  whilst,  by  the  light  of  day,  the  land  seemed 
an  anchor  of  hope,  in  the  event  of  a  storm,  the  scenery  it 
presented  reverted  my  thoughts  back  to  my  own  native  hills, 
so  much  beloved.  Whilst  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  is  bound  on 
the  north  and  west  by  a  flat  country,  scarcely  rising  above 
the  level  of  the  ocean,  it  seems  that  it  is  held  to  its  place  on 
the  south  by  a  long  range  of  mountains,  in  a  crescent  form, 
and  of  singular  beauty,  against  which  the  surging  of  the 
waves  in  their  fury  is  harmless.  However,  agreeable  to  the 
old  nautical  adage,  that  "a  calm  always  succeeds  a  storm," 
the  day  succeeding  the  night  of  the  gale,  we  were  in  a  state 
of  perfect  calm ;  nor  did  we  make  more  than  twelve  miles 
progress  during  the  period  of  twenty-four  hours.  This  day 
was  most  amusingly  spent  in  harpooning  sharks,  and  also  in 
hooking  other  fish,  much  to  the  joy  of  our  Dutch  cook,  who, 
as  they  were  hauled  in,  would  dilate  upon  their  specific 
qualities,  explaining  why  the  one  was  better  for  soup,  whilst 
the  other  should  be  for  the  pan  or  broil. 

On  the  17th  inst.,  although  the  calm  continued,  yet  myself 
and  Mr.  Duplessis  were  richly  repaid  for  all  the  delay,  in- 
conveniences and  dangers  we  had  encountered  by  havincr 
our  attention  called,  on  the  morning  of  the  day  in  question, 
to  the  magnificent  view  of  the  perpetually  snow-capped 


32  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

Orizava,  lying  west  of  Vera  Cruz;  lat.  19  12,  long.  96  08, 
and  said  by  some  to  rise  to  a  height  of  about  22,895  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  Orizava,  m  its  sublimity 
of  aspect,  can  neither  be  imagined  nor  described,  yet  the 
impression  it  had  upon  my  mind  was  that  its  lofty  summit 
was  the  most  beautiful  scene  of  nature  I  had  ever  beheld. 

The  morning  was  clear  and  cloudless,  in  consequence  of 
the  calm  of  the  preceding  twenty-four  hours,  and  it  was 
therefore  that,  at  a  distance  of  forty  miles  from  land,  we 
had  the  incomprehensible  and  beautiful  view  of  the  hoary 
height  of  the  Orizava.  To  picture  the  scene  so  that  the 
imagination  could  encompass  its  many  beauties  and  gran- 
deur, would  be  an  undertaking  beyond  the  most  graphic 
powers  of  any  pencil  or  pen ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  reasona- 
ble to  conclude  that  I  have  no  intention  of  impeaching  the 
fancy  of  the  reader,  who  will  excuse  me  when  I  say  that  the 
view,  as  presented  to  me,  seemed  to  be  a  vast  pile  of  moun- 
tains rising  immediately  from  the  margin  of  the  sea,  one 
above  the  other,  of  variegated  heights  and  formations  of 
peaks,  covered  by  the  deepest  green  vegetation,  and  that, 
too,  perpetual;  but,  pre-eminently  rising  above  them  all, 
the  eternally  snow-capped  monarch  of  mountains,  in  all 
the  sublimity  of  grandeur,  appeared  in  lofty  magnificence 
to  dazzle  back  the  rays  of  the  sun,  reflecting,  from  its  ex- 
ceeding purity  of  whiteness,  glittering  gems  of  the  most  re- 
splendent brightness,  far  above  the  comparatively  diminu- 
tive aspirations  of  other  lofty  summits,  or  the  rude  and  am- 
bitious footsteps  of  inquiring  man. 

After  we  had  for  nearly  two  days  been  becalmed,  in  full 
view  of  the  Orizava,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  inst.,  a  de- 
lightful trade  wind,  so  called  by  the  sailors,  sprang  up,  and 
again  put  our  fast-sailing  little  schooner  in  merry  motion,  by 
rapidly  plunging  it  against  the  waves,  and  making  it  but  a 
trifle  to  mount  the  stoutest  of  them.  As  evening  approach- 
ed, I  observed  the  captain  taking  an  observation  with  his 
spy-glass,  and,  on  inquiring  of  him  if  he  could  look  into  port, 


I 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


33 


he  smilingly  handed  me  the  glass,  saying,  "  There,  look  for 
yourself."  When  I  had.  taken  the  instrument,  after  spying 
a  few  times  to  the  right  and  left,  the  light-house  and  the 
Castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  fell  full  upon  my  sight ;  and, 
raising  it  a  little  higher,  the  walls  of  the  city,  the  cupolas, 
domes,  and  high  towers  of  both  church  and  cathedral  plain- 
ly informed  me  that  the  much-desired  port  of  A^era  Cruz 
was  in  full  view.  Upon  being  satisfied  that  we  were  about 
to  enter  the  destined  haven,  which,  on  one  occasion  at  least, 
had  been  despaired  of  by  me,  I  did  not  lose  time,  although 
the  sea  was  rough,  in  making  my  face  acquainted  with  my 
razor,  to  which  it  had  been  a  total  stranger  for  the  last  seven 
days,  and  in  opening  my  trunk  for  the  last  time,  until  it  should 
pass  through  the  Custom-house ;  for  at  a  distance  we  could 
perceive  a  pilot  boat  belting  the  breakers,  upon  which  were 
visible  several  wrecks,  which  lay  between  us  and  the  island 
of  Sacrificios.  To  myself  who,  abroad,  had  never  before 
witnessed  the  boarding  by  a  pilot,  it  was  an  interesting  sight. 
The  boat  was  small  and  manned  only  by  the  pilot  and  a  boy; 
it  had  to  make  a  circuit  of  about  two  miles  to  reach  us, 
whilst  the  Amazon  would  have  to  sail  scarcely  one;  and  as 
the  wind  was  high,  and  the  boat  light,  it  seemed  to  skim  the 
water  with  a  swiftness  equivalent  to  a  plumed  arrow  shot 
from  an  Indian  bow.  As  the  pilot  came  alongside  the 
schooner,  I  was  much  amused  by  the  declaration  of  our 
cook,  who  was  a  Dutchman,  exclaiming  that,  if  the  pilot 
belonged  to  him,  he  would  be  certain  of  making  his  fortune, 
by  exhibiting  t^ie  man  as  the  baboon  of  his  race.  Indeed 
the  pilot  to  me  was  a  curiosity,  for  added  to  his  naturally 
dark  and  sun-burnt  features,  the  long  glossy  hair  of  his  head, 
perfectly  black,  besides  the  grizzly-looking  beard  that  co- 
vered his  chin  and  mouth,  in  torn-puss  fashion,  circling  up  to 
his  eyes,  made  the  man  appear  more  like  a  monster  who 
had  strayed  from  the  frozen  regions  of  the  Orizava,  or  like 
the  grizzly  bear  of  the  North,  who  had  ventured  to  sea  upon 
an  iceberg  in  search  of  prey.  The  pilot  being  the  first 
3 


3^  T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  \   >I  E  X  I  C  O  . 

Mexican  I  had  ever  seen,  I  felt  myself  much  disappointed, 
if  he  was  a  fair  specimen,  from  what  I  had  imagined  their 
appearance  to  be ;  however,  I  afterwards  learned  that  lie 
was  an  Indian. 

At  six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  we  entered  the  port  of  Vera  Cruz, 
which  is  of  difficult  access,  and  were  safely  anchored  under 
the  frowning  guns  of  the  Castle  San  Juan  de  Ulloa ;  and,  as 
I  cast  my  eyes  along  its  battlements,  the  many  marks  of 
French  cannon  balls  were  yet  plainly  visible,  being  the  re- 
maining admonitions  to  Santa  Anna  of  Louis  Philippe's  dis- 
pleasure, and  chastisement  of  French  wrongs.  Mr.  Du- 
plessis  and  myself  at  once  determined  to  spend  the  night  on 
shore,  and  as  there  are  no  wharves  at  Vera  Cruz,  we  were 
politely  tendered  a  small  boat,  by  the  captain  of  a  Mexican 
steamer,  as  that  of  the  Amazon  was  employed  in  placing  the 
anchor  of  the  schooner;  our  baggage,  therefore,  having  been 
transferred  to  the  boat,  and  having  taken  seats  ourselves, 
we  were  landed  in  quick  time,  at  a  distance  of  about  three 
hundred  yards  upon  the  Mole,  which  is  extended  into  the 
water  about  fifty  3^ards,  from  immediately  opposite  the  only 
gate  of  the  city  fronting  the  sea.  The  Mole,  as  is  the  case 
always,  upon  the  arrival  of  a  vessel,  was  crowded  with  peo- 
ple from  every  clime,  as  well  as  by  citizens,  sailors,  and  sol- 
diers of  the  city;  and  to  mc,  who  had  for  the  first  time  land- 
ed upon  the  terra  jirma  of  a  foreign  country,  the  sight  w^as 
striking  and  •  novel ;  for  at  one  glance  I  beheld  the  black 
colour  of  the  African — the  tawny  complexion  of  the  Indian 
— the  brunette  of  the  Spaniard — as  well  as  the  fairer  hue  of 
other  Europeans ;  and  it  did  appear  to  me  that  had  I  been 
at  the  Tower  of  Babel,  when  the  confusion  of  languages 
took  place,  my  cars  could  not  have  been  saluted  by  a  great- 
er jargon  of  sounds,  or  my  eyes  with  the  sight  of  so  much 
variety  of  costume  ;  and,  f  jr  a  mixed  multitude,  it  surprised 
me  to  behold  such  a  marked  indifferent  expression  of  coun- 
tenance and  mien,  of  which  I  shall  hereafter  again  speak ; 
defying  any  stranger  to  tell  who  were  the  Mexicans,  other- 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O  .  35 

wise  than  from  the  uniforms  of  the  soldiers.  Althoimh  the 
Mexicans  are  more  or  less  dark  complexioned,  yet  there  arc 
a  goodly  number  of  people  in  Mexico  who  are  of  pure  Cas- 
tilian  and  Hidalgo  blood  of  old  Spain,  as  well  as  descend- 
ants of  other  Europeans  and  North  Americans  ;  and,  there- 
fore, the  darker  coloured  portion  of  the  population  are  the 
Indian,  and  the  consequent  shades  produced  from  the  ad- 
mixture with  the  Indian ;  however,  at  the  same  time,  there 
is  no  blood  so  pure  in  Mexico,  but  what  is  in  some  degree 
mixed  with  the  native  aboriginal  Indian.  The  ancient  Mex- 
icans had  the  honour  of  planting  their  own  race  in  Spain ; 
for  the  "  beautiful  princess  Tecuichpo  is  commemora- 
ted by  the  Spaniards,  since  from  her,  by  marriage,  are  de- 
scended some  of  the  illustrious  families  of  their  own  nation." 
In  consequence  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour  when  Mr. 
Duplessis  and  myself  landed  upon  the  Mole,  it  was  impos- 
sible for  us  to  pass  our  trunks  through  the  custom-house ; 
we  therefore  repaired  to  the  "  Casa  de  la  Diligencia,^^  the 
Diligence  House,  the  principal  hotel  kept  in  the  place.  Its 
landlord  was  a  fine  looking  Irishman,  by  the  name  of  Bell. 
It  was  our  determination  to  spend  our  first  night  in  Vera 
Cruz,  in  quietness  and  repose,  so  that  we  might  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  feel  refreshed  from  our  sea-voyage,  and 
thereby  enjoy  our  ramble  and  the  view  of  the  city  more; 
but  how  sadly  were  we  disappointed ;  for  the  bells  of  the 
public  buildings,  that  were  constantly  ringing  in  honour  of 
a  saint,  as  I  was  informed,  perpetuated  their  clack-a-clack, 
and  we  had  not  more  than  fairly  retired  to  bed  by  the  hour 
of  nine,  than  the  loud  report  of  a  big  gun  from  the  Castle 
was  heard ;  then  followed  the  ringing  of  all  the  bells  of  the 
cathedral  and  churches,  which  produced  the  most  deafening 
peal  that  had  ever  stunned  my  senses  —this  was  followed  by 
the  beating  of  drums  and  the  blowing  of  fifes  and  trumpets, 
and  for  the  balance  of  the  night,  as  if  intended  for  our  dis- 
tress, besides  the  diligent  biting  of  feas  and  mosquitoes,  we 
were  kept  awake  by  the  crying  of  the  watch-word  of  the 


3Q  T  K  A  V  E  L  S   I  X   M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

sentinels,  who  were  posted  at  every  corner  of  the  street, 
two  of  whom  had  their  positions  near  to  us ;  and  for  the 
first  niglit,  notwithstanding  our  anticipated  luxury  of  sleep- 
ing in  a  bed  on  shore,  I  was  kept  listening  to  the  stentorian 
voices  of  the  sentinels  crying  every  half  hour — Ave  Maria 
-purissima,  hs  dos  y  media  serenis,  &c. 

The  foUow'ing  morning  being  Sunday,  the  20th  instant, 
Mr.  Dimond,  the  American  Consul  for  the  port  of  Vera 
Cruz,  a  polite  gentleman,  and  withal  very  accommodating, 
marked  for  his  business  habits,  did  me  the  favour  of  calling 
on  me,  and  invited  me  to  take  a  stroll  with  him  to  view  the 
emporium  of  the  great  mart  of  Mexico,  denominated  by  its 
founder,  Hernando  Cortes,  in  1519,  Valla  Rica  de  la  Vera 
Crus — the  rich  town  of  the  true  cross — and  so  long  as  the 
Spaniards  were  its  owners,  it  was  in  truth  the  rich  town  of 
the  New  World.  The  city  of  Vera  Cruz  is  enclosed  by  a 
continued  wall,  built  of  coral  stone  and  brick,  stuccoed  on 
the  outer  and  inner  sides.  The  streets,  running  north  and 
south,  cast  and  west,  are  narrow,  and  all  paved  with  stone, 
shipped  from  the  United  States.  The  town  is  laid  oft^  in 
squares,  and  the  houses  are  a  solid  mass  of  buildings,  cover- 
ing the  whole  squares.  When  you  have  seen  one  house  in 
Vera  Cruz  you  have  seen  them  all,  for  there  is  a  perfect 
sameness  in  their  architecture.  The  houses  are  built  of 
stone  or  brick,  and  stuccoed  on  the  outside,  which  is  white- 
washed or  painted.  Each  building  being  of  a  square  form, 
has  its  paved  or  flagged  court  within,  and  a  flight  of  steps 
conducts  you  to  the  corridor  of  each  story,  the  corridors 
extending  around  the  building,  as  often  as  there  are  stairs, 
are  broad  and  ])avcd  with  cither  brick  or  tile,  and  strongly 
cemented  together.  The  doors  of  the  rooms  all  open  to  the 
corridors,  and  the  floors  of  the  rooms  are  also  of  tile,  and 
with  very  few  exceptions  of  Mosaic  marble.  The  floors, 
by  the  most  tastefully  cultivated  people,  are  either  painted, 
or  covered  with  oil  cloth  or  carpets.  It  is  but  seldom  that 
windows  are  seen  in  the  first  stories  of  buildings;  and  when 


TR  A  V  ELS    IN    MEXICO.  37 

perceived  they  arc  strongly  barred  with  iron  grating.  There 
are  no  windows  to  the  outer  walls  of  the  upper  stories,  ex- 
cepting those  fronting  the  streets;  the  greater  number  of 
windows  to  the  buildings  are  from  the  inner  walls,  look- 
ing out  upon  the  corridors.  Generally,  to  each  door  and 
window  fronting  the  street,  there  is  a  short  jutting  plat- 
form, railed  and  barred  with  iron,  upon  which  the  inhabi- 
tants can  sit  or  stand  for  observation  or  airing ;  and  often 
have  I  been  reminded,  when  observing  the  inhabitants  seated 
on  these  platforms,  in  their  silent,  demure  and  solemn  gra- 
vity, looking  in  a  most  careless  and  spiritless  manner,  upon 
all  that  might  be  transpiring  around  them,  of  a  Beaver  Vil- 
lage, where  here  and  there  some  dark,  grave  beaver  of  fine 
fur  would  be  sunning  in  his  window,  not  knowing  that  hap- 
piness or  misery  dwelt  in  the  breasts  of  any  other  creature 
but  itself,  and  when  satiated  with  looking  and  sunning,  dive 
back  again  into  his  strong  hole. 

The  houses  of  the  city,  without  exception,  are  flat-roofed; 
the  roofs  being  covered  with  tile  or  brick,  and  strongly  ce- 
mented, and  thus  rendered  fire  and  water  proof;  however, 
fire  is  the  least  of  all  the  dangers  that  a  Mexican  anticipates 
to  befall  his  house,  for  it  is  universally  without  a  chimney. 
On  the  tops  of  the  buildings  are  built  observatories,  which, 
at  a  distance  improves  the  view  of  the  town.  In  front  of 
the  Casa  de  la  Diligencia,  is  a  Plaza,  or  public  square,  of 
about  two  acres  of  ground,  and  directly  opposite  the  Casa 
de  la  Diligencia  is  what  was  once  the  Palace  Royal,  but 
now  a  barracks  and  a  prison.  The  public  buildings,  and 
especially  the  churches,  are  of  stupendous  dimensions  and 
magnificently  finished  within. 

There  is  a  religious  building  in  Vera  Cruz,  of  Jesuit  ori- 
gin, noted  for  its  massiveness  and  the  great  strength  of  its 
walls,  for  the  Jesuits  were  not  only  remarkable  for  their 
ambitious  grasping  after  power,  but  also  for  fortifying  them- 
selves in  whatever  they  undertook.  The  elegance  of  one 
private  building  above  another,  can  only  be  discovered  by 


gg  TRAVELS    I\    MEXICO. 

entering  into  the  court  of  the  house,  as  but  seldom  do  they 
make  mucli  outside  show.  On  some  of  the  squares,  the  por- 
tals extend  over  the  side-walks,  and  thus  the  citizens  in  the 
streets  are  protected  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
and  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun.  I  was  not  in  any  of  the 
houses  at  A^era  Cruz  but  those  occupied  by  foreigners,  and 
I  did  not  observe  any  material  difference,  as  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  were  furnished,  from  those  of  the  United 
States,  saving  that  the  corridors  were  hung  around  with 
cages  filled  with  many  coloured  birds,  and  whilst,  indeed, 
some  were  sweetly  warbling  notes  divine,  yet  the  intolerable 
jargon  of  the  parrot,  with  his  ear-piercing  whistling  and 
squalling,  entirely  destroyed  the  melody  of  the  other  beau- 
tifully feathered  songsters. 

There  was  also  one  other  thing  that  invariably  attracted 
my  attention  wherever  I  went,  whether  in  public  or  private 
buildings,  viz :  a  brass  urn,  called  a  Brazero,  in  which  were 
heaped  live  coals  of  fire,  and  as  an  Englishman  of  poetic 
imagination  remarked,  "  that  eternal  fires  were  kept  burning 
in  those  brazeros  in  imitation  of  the  ancient  Mexicans,  who 
kept  perpetual  fires  in  their  temples  in  honour  of  the  sun ;" 
however,  no  one  could  long  remain  in  ignorance  of  their 
purpose,  as  the  inhabitants  never  passed  in  or  out  without 
first  touching  the  end  of  their  paper  or  tobacco  cigars,  to  a 
live  coal  of  the  brazeros,  and  thus,  by  that  means,  keep 
the  eternal  fires  burning  also  at  their  mouths,  whilst  two 
streams  of  perpetually  curling  smoke  were  issuing  from 
their  nostrils  ;  for  the  jMexican  first  swallows  the  smoke,  and 
then  ejects  it  through  his  nose,  believing  it  to  be  a  very 
beautiful  sight. 

The  health  of  Vei'a  Cruz  is  perhaps  worse  than  that  of 
ail}'  other  place  on  the  habitable  glolje,  and  it  is  calculated 
that  one-fifth  of  its  inhabitants  annually  perish ;  for,  from 
the  month  of  June  until  October,  the  Mexican  Vomito  has 
a  reign  of  terror,  carrying  to  the  tomb  the  old  and  young, 
and  but  seldom    sparing   the  foreigner.     The   sickness    of 


TRAVELS   I\   MEXICO.  39 

Vera  Cruz  is  attributed  to  the  increased  intensity  of  tlie  sun's 
heat,  reflected  from  the  high  white  sand-hills,  that  overlook 
the  town,  as  also  from  the  poisonous  vapour  which  arises 
from  the  stagnant  waters  of  the  lakes  and  swamps  which 
surround  the  city.  The  venomous  insects  that  infest  that  hot 
region  add  Ukewise  in  no  small  degree,  by  never  leaving  the 
inhabitants  to  repose,  and  constantly  causing  feverish  excite- 
ment and  irritation,  to  promote  disease  ;  yet,  it  is  asserted  in 
history  that,  previous  to  the  discovery  of  Mexico,  and  long 
after  its  settlement,  the  mortality  as  now  known  at  Vera 
Cruz  had  not  its  existence ;  and  thus,  but  in  another  in- 
stance, exhibiting  the  fact  that,  wherever  the  white  man 
erects  his  habitation  and  plants  civilization,  pestilence  and 
bilious  maladies  are  his  consequent  accompaniments.  How- 
ever, the  Northers  at  Vera  Cruz,  like  the  frost  of  New  Or- 
leans, purify  the  atmosphere,  and  dissipate  disease.  The 
Northers,  as  before  stated,  are  periodical,  in  the  months  of 
October  and  November,  and  notwithstanding  their  destruc- 
tive tendency  upon  the  sea,  yet  they  have  a  highly  beneficial 
effect  on  land,  breaking  down  the  luxuriency  of  vegetation 
•  on  the  coast,  and  driving  before  them  all  infection  which 
the  intense  heat  of  summer  may  have  taken  from  the  decom- 
position of  the  vegetable  kingdom  ;  and  thus  it  can  be  easily 
perceived  that  nature,  in  her  economy,  must  have  designed 
that  as  the  frost  never  falls  upon  the  plains  of  Mexico  to 
kill  malaria  and  destroy  green  vegetation,  those  north  winds 
so  much  dreaded  at  sea,  are  sent  in  blessing  to  the  landsmen. 
Soon  after  my  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz,  I  gave  to  the  servant 
who  attended  my  room  some  clothing  to  be  washed  ;  but 
he  soon  returned  with  my  bundle,  bringing  with  hira  a  Ger- 
man lady  of  the  establishment  as  his  interpreter,  and  informed 
me  that  the  washwoman  refused  to  take  the  clothes,  unless  I 
would  release  her  from  all  responsibility  if  a  Norther  should 
carry  them  away  ;  whereupon  assuming  the  hazard,  on  the 
following  day,  upon  short  notice,  the  winds  came,  and  scat- 
tered my  clothing  like  kites  in  the  air,  some  to  the  country, 


40  TR  A  V  ELS    I  N    MEXICO. 

and  some  to  the  sea,  and  some  perhaps  to  needy  Mexicans, 
The  inhabitants,  on  the  first  appearance  of  the  coming 
storm,  are  compelled  immediately  to  tightly  bar  their  doors 
and  \vindows,  stopping  up  the  key-holes,  and  every  other 
crevice,  and  to  keep  them  so,  long  after  the  Norther  ceases 
to  blow,  to  prevent  light  articles  of  their  houses  from  fly- 
ing away,  as  also  their  eyes  from  being  put  out  by  the  sand 
thickly  floating  in  the  air. 

A  French  gentleman,  Mons.  P.  Thuillier,  described  to  me 
the  terrible  havocs  of  a  Norther,  as  seen  by  himself  from 
his  own  window,  in  which  nine  vessels  perished,  one  of 
which  was  driven  against  the  walls  of  the  city,  whilst  an- 
other was  upset  upon  the  beach,  and  on  the  following  day, 
when  she  was  scuttled,  six  live  men,  to  the  joy  and  sur- 
prise of  the  wreckers,  were  disembowelled  from  the  schoo- 
ner, which  was  half  filled  with  water. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


41 


CHAPTER   III. 

Dined  with  Mr.  Dimoml.  Defcriptioii  of  ruins.  Isl.i  de  los  Sacrificlo<?.  War-god  Hiii- 
tziloi)Otcliili.  The  Mexicans  believe  tliat  tlie  period  had  arrived  fur  the  return  of  their 
deity.  Cannibal  priests.  Arrival  of  Cortes.  >Iontezeiima's  embassy.  Vespus.  Marina. 
Arrest  of  four  Americans  and  two  Dutclimen.  Spanish  treasure.  Consent  of  Santa 
Anna  to  search  for  mone}-.  Arrest  of  Capt.  Place.  Four  days  in  Vera  Cni/,.  lie- 
parture  from  Vera  Cruz.  Tlie  Ladrones.  Description  of  them.  Duplicity  of  the 
Mexicans.     Santa  Anna's  wooden  Kg. 

Mr.  Dimond,  with  whom  I  dined  on  Sunday,  the  first 
day  that  I  spent  in  Vera  Cruz,  w^as  a  native  of  the  State 
of  Connecticut ;  but  his  lady  was  a  Virginian,  which  fact 
I  was  not  apprised  of  until  I  had  remarked  to  him,  whilst 
at  his  house,  the  striking  resemblance  I  discovered  in  a 
portrait  likeness  that  hung  in  his  drawing-room,  of  Dr. 
Parker,  formerly  of  Virginia;  when  the  consul  informed 
me,  that  the  old  doctor  was  his  father-in-law  ; — a  most 
singular  coincident.  Mr.  Dimond,  for  many  years  previous 
to  his  removal  to  Vera  Cruz,  had  been  the  American  Con- 
sul at  Port  au  Prince,  and  in  his  conversation  with  me 
unhesitatingly  said,  that  it  was  his  conviction,  resulting 
from  his  long  residence  in  Hayti,  that  the  slaves  of  the 
South,  in  the  United  States,  w^ere  happier,  and  better  pro- 
vided for,  than  the  blacks  of  that  island,  with  their  boasted 
freedom.  Dinner  being  over,  I  accepted  his  polite  invita- 
tion to  accompany  him  in  a  walk  to  the  Passio,  which 
name,  as  I  understood,  means  a  drive  or  promenade. 

The  city  of  Vera  Cruz,  previous  to  the  revolution,  con- 
tained about  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants ;  but,  dis- 
tressing to  tell,  it  does  not  now  possess  more  than  about 
four  thousand.  The  general  appearance  of  the  town  show^s 
great  decay  and  dilapidation ;  for  the  many  scourges,  by 
war  and  the  decline  of  commerce,  resulting  from  a  system 
of  government  policy,  which  we  shall  hereafter  explain, 


42 


TRAVELS    IN    iM  E  X  I  C  O  . 


has  reduced  the  once  flourishing  port  of  Mexico  into  a  heap 
of  ruins,  and  a  by-\vord  for  civilized  nations. 

Upon  my  reaching  the  Passio,  which  is  beyond  the  west- 
ward gate  of  the  city,  my  soul  was  pained  at  the  ruin  and 
waste  that  I  there  beheld.  Much  of  the  beauty  of  the  Passio 
itself  yet  remained,  for  a  large  portion  of  its  pavement, 
made  of  smooth  and  shiny  bitumen — its  many  seats  and 
circles — are  yet  perfect,  affording  the  visiter  much  recrea- 
tion, while  strolling  along  its  walks,  as,  at  the  same  time, 
he  feels  refreshed  by  the  cooling  sea-breeze,  which,  at  the 
hour  of  evening,  always,  most  congenially,  wafts  in  gentle 
zephyrs  over  it.  But  how  sadly  changed  the  scene  since 
the  old  Dons  of  Spain  are  no  longer  there  to  improve  and 
dignify  the  place.  In  vain  the  visiter  looks  for  the  flower- 
gardens,  and  the  groves  of  orange,  lemon  and  cocoa-nut 
trees,  as,  also,  the  pine-apple  plant,  filling  the  air  with  fra  • 
grance,  as  well  as  the  fountains  of  water  which  skirted 
the  Passio  on  both  sides. 

This  delightful  walk  once  pierced  the  centre  of  a  broad 
street,  bounded,  on  either  hand,  for  half  a  mile,  by  rows  of 
beautiful  buildings — where  are  they  now? — tumbled  into 
ruins ; — for  there  can  be  beheld  the  broken  columns  and 
fallen  dome  of  a  proud  and  lofty  church,  where  once  pealed 
the  notes  divine  of  the  solemn  organ.  Indeed,  ruin  and  de- 
cay may  be  seen  in  all, — in  whatever  direction  the  eyes  may 
be  turned,  literally  are  beheld,  "  walls  bowed,  and  crushed 
seats."  How  impressively  does  the  scene  of  this  place  re- 
mind the  looker-on  of  the  vanity  and  futility  of  all  human 
things ;  and  how  melancholy  the  reflection  to  him  who  can 
stand  on  the  spot  and  meditatively  contemplate  over  the 
falling  dwellings  and  palaces;  where  once  tlie  Spanish  belle, 
with  her  tuned  guitar,  sweetly  warbled  her  touching  notes 
in  the  ears  of  her  lover; — faUing  into  heaps  of  mouldering 
rubbish, — 

"  The  cru;h"d  relics  of  their  vanquished  might," 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  43 

a  retreat  and  shelter  for  sheep  and  swine ;  or  else,  made 
places  for  the  butchering  and  the  drying  of  meat.  I  am 
persuaded,  from  "what  I  have  learned  of  the  history  of  Mex- 
ico, and  all  iJl^ve  seen  of  Vera  Cruz,  that  no  greater  ca- 
lamity could  Imve  befallen  any  people,  than  the  acquisition, 
by  the  Mexicans,  of  their  independence,  and  the  expulsion 
of  the  old  Spaniards  from  her  dominions. 

At  the  end  of  the  Passio  my  attention  was  attracted  by 
the  sound  of  music,  and,  on  approaching  a  falling  building, 
which  yet  had  standing  a  portion  of  its  portal,  supported 
by  pillars,  was  seen  a  motley  crowd ;  one  of  the  men,  a 
Mexican,  was  strumming  on  an  indifferent  Spanish  guitar, 
while  a  negro  was  also  thumbing  a  kind  of  harpsichord  pe- 
culiar to  the  country.  As  the  music  was  going  on,  a  woman 
and  a  man  were  dancing,  what  I  was  informed  to  be  a 
fandango.  The  w^oman  wore  the  hat  of  her  partner,  and 
the  dance  consisted  in  a  lazy  shuffle  to  a  slow  tune.  At  a 
period  of  every  five  or  ten  minutes,  the  woman  w'ould  com- 
mence a  plaintive  ditty,  in  which  the  whole  crowd  would 
join  in  chorus,  and,  what  would  otherwise  have  rendered 
the  music  agreeable,  was,  that  the  male  voices  attempted 
to  imitate  the  female,  and  produced  such  a  shrill,  hideous 
sound,  the  like  of  which,  for  music,  I  had  never  before 
heard  more  ridiculous.  Upon  my  inquiring  the  reason  of 
the  lady's  wearing  the  hat  of  the  gentleman,  I  was  informed 
that  whenever  an  individual  desired  to  dance  wath  a  lady, 
he  would  first  present  her  with  his  hat,  and,  if  she  thus  ac- 
cepted his  invitation,  he  could  not  again  obtain  his  hat 
without  redeeming  it  by  paying  one  dollar;  and  in  this 
way,  I  was  told,  the  loafers  of  Vera  Cruz  devoted  every 
Sabbath  evenino*. 

Upon  continuing  my  walk  further  on  the  green  turf  of  the 
level  plain,  a  small  building,  with  a  belfry,  and  a  high 
wall,  encircling  a  large  plat  of  ground,  all  of  an  antique 
and  decayed  appearance,  struck  my  view.  This  was  the 
cemetery,  whose  ready  portals  were  continually  receiving 


44  T  R  A  V  E  I.  S    I  \    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

SO  large  a  portion  of  the  human  family.  About  midway 
between  myself  and  the  cemetery,  I  discovered  the  habit  of 
a  priest,  and  abrnit  him  were  some  six  or  eight  individuals, 
and  I  was  informed,  that  at  that  place  the  priests  were  in 
the  (Custom  of  meeting  the  corpse  brought  out  of  the  city 
for  interment,  as  to  go  too  often  into  the  cemetery  was  con- 
sidered to  expose  too  much  the  life  of  the  holy  father,  and 
therefore  there  performed  the  last  solemn  duties  of  ablution, 
and  of  sprinkling  dust  and  ashes  over  the  remains  of  a  de- 
parted fellow-being  returning  to  his  mother  earth. 

My  mind,  dissatisfied  with  all  the  objects  presented  to  my 
view,  my  thoughts  could  but  revert,  with  the  Ma  de  los 
Sacrificios  in  broad  aspect  of  the  Passio,  to  the  early  history 
of  the  country.  In  1518,  Grijalva  had  the  distinguished 
fame  of  being  the  first  European  who  set  foot  on  Mexican 
soil,  and,  at  the  island  above  mentioned  it  was,  where  the 
Spaniard  first  beheld  the  trickling  blood  of  human  heca- 
tombs on  the  altars  of  the  IMexican  war-god  Huitzilopotchili, 
and  from  the  ensanguined  temples  erected  for  his  worship, 
perpetually  ascended  the  smoke  of  human  sacrifices  in  eve- 
ry town  of  the  empire.  Hov/  vast,  then,  the  destruction 
of  human  life  !  In  the  mystic  legends  of  the  Mexicans,  as 
to  one  of  their  tutelary  deities,  the  god  of  the  air,  Quetzal- 
coatl,  prepared  the  way  by  which,  alone,  a  handful  of  Spa- 
niards were  enabled  to  overthrow  a  vast  and  powerful 
empire.  This  air  god,  doomed  to  exile  by  a  superior  divi- 
nity, was  tall  in  stature,  with  a  white  skin,  long  dark  hair, 
and  a  flowing  beard.  Seated  in  his  wizzard  skifl^,  made  of 
serpents'  skins,  he  embarked  upon  the  Mexican  gulf,  to  glide 
over  the  great  waters  of  the  fabled  land  of  Hapallaw.  But, 
previous  to  his  departure,  he  promised  his  friends  that  him- 
self and  his  descendants  would  again  visit  a  country  which 
he  so  much  loved.  And  divine  will  did  so  provide,  in  the 
abundance  of  time,  that  the  fair  regions  of  Mexico  should 
no  longer  be  doomed  to  the  loathsome  and  degrading  prac- 
tices  of    cannibalism,   to    satiate  tiie  bloody  and  depraved 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  ^c 

appetite  of  a  frantic  and  bigoted  priestiiood.  And,  as  an 
elegant  author  has  remarked,  it  is  "  strange  that  in  every 
country  the  most  fiendish  passions  of  the  human  heart  have 
been  those  kindled  in  the  name  of  religion." 

It  happened  that,  in  the  reign  of  Montezcuma,  the  Mexi- 
cans were  generally  impressed  with  the  opinion  that  the 
time  had  arrived  for  their  god  Quctzalcoatl  to  return — that 
deity  so  unhke  the  aspect  of  the  Indian — for,  with  hair  not 
so  black,  with  fair  skin  and  flowing  beard,  was  a  god  incar- 
nate, of  person  superior  in  dignity  of  mien  to  themselves ; 
and,  when  compared  to  their  other  deities,  possessed  a 
beauty  and  a  pureness  entirely  differing  from  the  hideous 
appearance  of  other  divinities,  to  appease  the  wrath  of 
whom,  it  eternally  required  the  smoking  hearts  of  thousands 
of  their  Indian  race  to  send  up  their  barbarous  and  super- 
stitious oblations  to  heaven,  as  the  dear  prize  of  their  homage 
and  devotion  to  them.  Not  so  with  Quctzalcoatl,  for  he 
had  been  their  benefactor  when  residing  amongst  them,  and, 
in  the  plenitude  of  his  goodness,  taught  them  the  use  and  the 
art  of  manufacturing  metals,  a  shining  helmet  of  which 
he  wore  upon  his  head.  He  also  instructed  them  how  to 
cultivate  their  fields  in  maize,  a  single  ear  of  which  was  a 
load  for  one  man.  In  fine,  this  god  had  been  their  benefac- 
tor in  every  thing  that  was  useful,  or  which  contributed  to 
their  comfort  and  happiness:  therefore  it  was  with  mingled 
hopes  and  fears  that  the  Mexicans  looked  with  confidence 
for  the  appearing  of  him  who  was  to  guide  them  in  the 
ways  of  knowledge,  and  to  more  exalted  spheres  of  feli- 
city. 

The  convictions  of  the  Mexicans,  in  the  time  of  Monte- 
zcuma, that  the  period  had  arrived  for  the  return  of  their 
deity,  and,  fortunately  for  the  Spaninrds,  that  opinion  had 
been  strengthened,  just  previously  to  their  landing  on  the 
shores  of  Mexico,  by  the  great  lake  of  Tezcuco  of  the  val- 
ley of  Anahuac,  without  wind  or  earthquake,  being  sud- 
denly tossed  in  boisterous  waves,  and  overflowing  its  banks. 


46  T  R  A  V  E  L  s  I  \  :m  E  X  I  c  o . 

sweepcd  from  before  its  tide  many  of  the  houses  of  the  city 
of  Mexico;  then  a  turret  of  the  great  temple  took  fire, 
without  the  cause  of  the  Hghtning  flash,  or  the  hand  of  the 
incendiary,  and  defied  ahke  the  power  of  water  to  extin- 
guish its  flames,  or  the  arm  of  man  to  arrest  its  progress ; 
and  tiicn,  the  before  unseen,  shining  orbs  in  the  heavens, 
and  a  vivid  sheet,  or  flood  of  fire,  that  spread  along  the 
broad  expanse  of  the  horizon  to  the  east,  rising  to  a  pyra- 
mid, and  tapering  to  a  point  as  it  ascended  to  its  zenith,  and 
at  the  same  time  voices  of  invisible  spirits,  or  the  whisper- 
ings of  their  gods,  was  heard  in  mournful  and  mysterious 
wailings  in  the  air,  prognosticating  some  calamity  to  their 
country ;  or  else,  the  evidences  of  the  gatherings  of  the 
wrath  of  the  perturbed  spirits  of  their  gods,  to  break  in  fu- 
ture time  upon  the  devoted  heads  of  poor  Indians. 

As  Montezeuma,  and  his  subjects,  upon  the  arrival  of 
the  Spaniards,  had  a  deep  and  mystic  cloud  cast  over 
their  spirits,  by  the  troubling  of  the  waters  of  the  lake,  and 
the  terrific  appearances  of  the  heavens,  they  could  but 
speedily  anticipate  the  downfall  of  their  empire.  Indeed,  to 
the  royal  Indian  monarch,  they  were  the  handwriting  upon 
the  wall  that  made  Belshazzar's  knees  smite  together;  and, 
to  all  human  ken,  were  but  angry  and  sublime  enunciations 
of  an  all-wise  overruling  providence  to  an  ignorant  and  big- 
oted people,  that  tiic  white  man,  with  thunder  and  light- 
ning in  his  hand,  was  soon  to  demolish,  and  hurl  from  the 
battlements  of  their  towering  temples,  the  ensanguined  de- 
ities and  insatiate  cannibal  priests,  from  the  performance 
of  their  damned  rites,  and,  in  its  stead,  erect  the  standard 
of  the  cross,  from  which  can  be  seen  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
which  takcth  away  the  sins  of  the  world; — and  the  terrible 
fate  that  overtook  the  priest liood  of  Montezeuma  should 
be  a  monument  of  warning  to  those  of  the  present  day, 
of  the  true  God's  displeasure  with  wickedness  and  abomina- 
tions. 

It  was,  therefore,  under  the  superstitious  presentiments 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


47 


of  Montezcama,  in  the  latter  years  of  his  reign,  tliat  Her- 
nando Cortes,  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  April,  1519,  land- 
ed on  the  spot  where  now  is  the  cit}'  of  Vera  Cruz;  and, 
as  I  cast  my  eyes  over  the  level  plain,  and  beheld  the  white 
sand-hills,  formed  by  the  drifting  of  the  sands  during  the 
blowing  of  the  northern  tornadoes,  I  could  but  picture,  in 
my  imagination,  that  I  beheld  the  chivalrous  few,  under  the 
banner  of  Castile,  and  commanded  by  the  intrepid  Cortes, 
encamped  upon  one  of  the  eminences  overlooking  the  plain 
below,  and  the  surrounding  country ;  whilst,  at  the  same 
time,  the  natives,  with  presents  of  gold  and  flowers  in  their 
hands,  came  flocking  in  from  all  parts  to  behold  the  won- 
derful strangers.  As  they  are  pondering  in  their  minds, 
whether  or  not  the  beings  they  beheld  were  gods,  and  of 
the  family  of  Quetzalcoatl,  or  but  mere  men  like  themselves 
— behold  !  an  embassy  from  the  royal  monarch  of  the  land 
arrives,  headed  by  a  noble,  Tuehtlile  ;  and,  as  he  touches 
the  earth  with  his  hand,  and  then  raises  it  to  his  head— see ! 
he  lays  at  the  feet  of  Cortes,  a  golden  sun,  and  silver 
moon,  of  ponderous  weights,  besides  an  hundred  loads  of 
rich  and  precious  things  of  the  country.  Hear ! — the  bell 
has  tolled  the  hour  of  vespers,  and  the  Spaniards  have  all 
fallen  to  their  knees ;  and,  as  father  Olmedo,  with  solemn 
reverence,  offers  up  his  supplications  to  the  most  high  God, 
the  awe-struck  natives  are  amazed  at  the  worship  of,  to 
them,  the  unknown  God  of  the  Christians. 

The  religious  services  being  ended, — see !  in  what  bold 
relief  the  lovely  Indian  interpreter,  Marina,  whom  chance 
had  thrown  in  the  possession  of  the  conqueror,  and  of 
whom  it  is  said,  that  Cortes  "  first  made  her  his  interpreter, 
then  his  secretary,  and  afterwards,  won  by  her  charms,  his 
mistress,  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  Don  Martin  Cortes;  whom, 
although  distinguished  by  his  parentage,  yet  the  inquisition 
put  him  to  the  rack  in  the  very  city  won  by  the  sword  of 
his  father."  Yes,  hear  her,  in  the  soft,  sweet  cadence  of 
her  voice,  so  peculiar  to  the  females  of  her  people,  inform- 


4g  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  \    iM  E  X  I  C  O  . 

ing  the  great  noble,  that  Cortes  "  was  the  subject  of  a  po- 
tent monarch  beyond  the  seas,  wlio  ruled  over  an  immense 
empire,  and  had  kings  and  princes  for  his  vassals;  that, 
acquainted  with  the  greatness  of  the  Mexican  empire,  his 
master  had  desired  to  enter  into  a  communication  with  him, 
and  had  sent  lum  as  his  envoy  to  wait  on  Montezeuma 
with  a  present,  in  token  of  his  good-will." — And  hear  the 
noble  express  his  "  surprise  to  learn  there  was  another  mo- 
narch as  powerful  as  Montezeuma,"  and  inquire,  "  How  is 
it  that  you  have  been  here  only  two  days,  and  demand 
to  see  the  emperor  ?" — Long  did  my  thoughts  thus  revel 
upon  the  early  history  of  the  country,  (which,  at  the  present 
day,  although  authentic  in  all  its  parts,  yet,  as  seen  through 
the  vista  of  time,  seems  to  be  but  the  fabled  account  of  some 
ingenious  romance,)  until,  at  length,  admonished  by  the 
lateness  of  the  hour,  I  returned  to  the  city  and  my  lodgings. 

JMonday  morning,  the  20th  inst.,  was  hailed  by  me  with 
much  satisfaction,  as  my  trunk  had  to  remain  locked  up 
in  the  custom-house  all  day  Sunday ;  the  officers  of  Vera 
Cruz  refusing  to  do  business  on  that  day,  which  disposition 
to  keep  the  Sabbath,  in  this  respect,  loudly  reflects  to  their 
credit. 

After  breakfast,  Mr.  Dimond  requested  the  key  of  my 
trunk,  sayincr  that  he  would  make  application  for  it  in  per- 
son, and  I  did  not  hesitate  to  comply  with  his  kind  offer, 
by  accepting  the  proffered  service  ;  for  no  one  can  feel  com- 
fortable without  their  wardrobe;  and,  as  my  journal,  too, 
was  in  my  trunk,  I  felt  out  of  employment  without  it. 
Mr.  Dimond  was  not  long  absent  before  he  returned,  and 
informed  me,  that  he  had  passed  my  baggage  through  the 
hands  of  the  officers  of  the  custom-house,  and  a  laughable 
time  he  liad  of  it,  he  said,  in  a  scramble  for  my  chew- 
ing tobacco.  I  w^as  aware,  previous  to  my  going  to  that 
port,  that  the  article  of  tobacco  was  contraband,  but  who 
ever  heard  of  an  old  Virginian  starting  on  a  journey 
without  especially  having  first  provided  himself  with  a  few 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N   M  E  X  I  C  0 .  49 

manufactured  lumps  of  the  weed,  to  stimulate  and  cheer 
his  imagination,  in  his  absence  from  friends,  and  to  give 
his  mouth  employment,  whilst  sitting  in  strange  places,  for 
the  want  of  acquaintances  with  whom  to  converse.  I 
had  intentionally  deposited  my  tobacco  on  the  top  of  all  the 
other  articles  in  my  trunk,  to  prove  thereby,  that  I  had  no 
disposition  to  smuggle  it,  and,  therefore,  no  sooner  was 
my  trunk  opened,  than  the  best  (juality  of  that  article  that 
had  ever  come,  perhaps,  under  the  inspection  of  the  offi- 
cers of  that  port,  lay  staring  them  in  the  face ;  and  no 
sooner  was  it  seen  than  the  voracious  Mexicans  laid  violent 
hands  on  it,  and  deposited  it  on  a  shelf  of  the  store-room. 

To  this  Mr.  Dimond  made  no  objections ;  and  the  offi- 
cers not  finding  any  other  goods,  or  more  tobacco  to  seize 
upon ;  as  they  were  about  to  close  my  trunk,  my  friend  in- 
formed them,  that  the  owner  of  that  baggage  ate  the  to- 
bacco which  they  had  taken,  and  that  it  was  necessary  for 
his  comfort  that  he  should  have  it,  which  piece  of  informa- 
tion so  surprised  them,  that  if  I  ate  tobacco,  they  said,  I 
should  have  it. 

However,  my  friend,  Mr.  Duplessis,  was  not  so  fortu- 
nate, for  he  had  to  pay  eighteen  dollars  duty  on  his  snuff, 
for  private  use.  And  thus,  it  seems,  that  while  the  Mex- 
ican was  circling  the  smoke  of  his  cigarreto  through  his 
nose,  thinking  it  the  only  good  way  to  use  tobacco,  I  was 
amusing  myself  by  chewing  my  quid,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  my  New  Orleans  friend,  of  French  descent,  was 
tickling  his  olfactory  nerves  by  copious  pinches  of  snuff, 
to  the  delightful  sneezing  and  convulsion  of  his  whole  sys- 
tem. 

On  my  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz,  there  was  much  excitement 
amongst  the  good  citizens  of  that  place,  in  consequence  of 
the  recent  arrest  of  four  Americans  and  two  Dutchmen. 
These  were  men  who  had  been  deluded  into  an  enterprise, 
which  resulted  in  some  very  remarkable  facts :  and  I  am 
indebted  to  the  American  consul,  who  was  interposing 
4 


gQ  TKAVELSIN    MEXICO. 

his  official  autliority  in  their  behalf,  for  a  history  of  their 
unjustifiable  confinement. 

During  the  first  revolution  in  Mexico,  the  old  Spaniards 
were  ordered  to  leave  the  country,  by  the  revolutionists. 
A  few  wealthy  persons,  who  were  residents  of  Vera  Cruz, 
determined  that,  previous  to  departing  upoit  their  exile,  they 
would  bury  their  gold  and  valuable  plate  in  some  select  and 
secret  place,  believing,  as  they  did,  that  the  insubordination 
of  the  natives  would  soon  be  quelled  by  the  royal  forces ; 
and,  as  they  could  not,  with  safety,  convey  it  out  of  Mexico 
to  the  unknown  place  of  their  destiny,  driven,  as  they  were, 
to  seek  refuge  as  best  they  could,  from  the  homes  of  their 
adoption ;  this  party  of  Spaniards,  putting  a  mutual  trust 
in  each  other,  and  with  the  common  hope  of  again  being 
permitted  to  reside  peaceably  at  Vera  Cruz,  buried  their 
treasures  on  a  tract  of  land,  now  belonging  to  Santa  Anna, 
distant  from  the  city  about  nine  miles.  A  map  having  been 
accurately  drawn,  and  a  written  geography  prepared,  of  the 
precise  location  where  the  secret  deposit  had  been  made,  the 
party  made  safe  their  retreat  from  the  scenes  of  revolution 
and  persecution. 

Time  elapsed,  and  that  too  without  a  mitigation  of  the 
decree  which  expelled  the  refugees  from  Mexico,  and, 
ultimately,  all  the  leagued  party  had  deceased  in  Europe,  or 
the  United  States,  but  one,  and  he,  having  made  his  retreat 
to  New  Orleans,  the  map  and  all  the  information  appertain- 
ing to  the  hidden  treasure,  on  his  demise  in  that  city,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  an  individual  who  had  been  intimate  with 
the  deceased  Spaniard ;  and  that  person  had  employed  the 
romantic  adventurers  to  visit  Mexico,  and  to  dig  for  the  hid- 
den wealth,  w^ith  a  promise  of  a  large  portion  of  the  products 
of  the  discovery,  if  made.  The  credulous  Americans,  upon 
landing  at  Vera  Cruz,  there  found  Santa  Anna  in  a  fret  with 
his  countrymen,  because  they  had  not  cheered  him  as  form- 
erly on  liis  arrival  within  their  walls.  The  money-hunters 
unhesitatingly  acquainted  the  dictator  with  their  business. 


TRAVELS     IN    MEXICO.  gj 

and  requested  liis  permission  to  search  for  the  hidden  trea- 
sures, which  they  informed  him  were  upon  his  land.  Santa 
Anna,  after  expressing  his  want  of  faith  in  the  narrative  of 
the  men,  with  much  kind  frankness  gave  his  consent  that 
they  should,  unmolested,  search  his  premises  for  their  golden 
expectations,  whenever  and  as  long  as  they  pleased. 

The  foreigners,  delighted  with  their  kind  reception,  and 
the  much-desired  privilege  granted  to  them,  with  thankful 
hearts,  promised  the  dictator  a  portion  of  the  profits  if  suc- 
cessful ;  and  immediately  repaired  to  Mango  de  Clavo, 
Santa  Anna's  hacienda  campus,  and  commenced  digging 
upon  the  spots  of  ground  designated  by  the  map  and  the 
written  directions.  But,  to  the  great  dismay  of  the  party, 
before  they  had  been  allowed  time  to  make  any  satisfactory 
progress,  a  band  of  soldiers  came  upon  them,  and,  by  the 
warrant  of  the  dictator,  arrested  all  of  them,  on  the  charge 
of  their  having  been  sent  by  the  Texian  government  to  as- 
sassinate him ;  and  that  their  object  was,  not  to  hunt  for 
treasure,  but  for  his  blood,  which  was  more  precious  than 
mountains  of  gold.  In  support  of  this  ridiculous  allegation, 
one  of  the  minions  of  Santa  Anna,  who  had  never  seen 
Texas,  and  held  no  correspondence  with  the  executive  of 
that  government,  as  to  its  secret  or  avowed  intentions,  made 
oath  to  the  charge.  Thus  there  was  no  remedy  for  the  un- 
fortunate adventurers  but  to  be  committed  to  gaol,  where 
they  could  indulge  their  fancies  in  golden  visions. 

As  for  the  Mexicans,  who  ever,  in  the  history  of  their 
country,  have  been  accustomed  to  the  secret  hand  of  their 
government-officers,  in  the  degrading  and  vile  acts  of  assas- 
sination and  low  stratagem,  they  were  easy  to  believe  that 
the  government  of  Texas  could  be  guilty  of  so  disgraceful  a 
deed  as  to  commit  an  act  of  violence  upon  the  person  of  the 
dictator.  But,  to  the  contrary,  it  was  the  belief  of  all 
foreigners  in  the  country,  that  the  charge  was  only  a  device 
of  Santa  Anna  (in  which  some  of  his  countrymen  thought 
him  very  smart)  to  obtain  the  chart  and  instructions  from 


52  T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N   31  E  X  I  C  O . 

these  men,  to  secure  to  himself,  as  it  is  said  he  did,  eight 
thousand  doubloons,  ^vhich  had  been  buried  by  the  old 
Spaniards. 

Furthermore,  to  cap  the  climax  of  Santa  Anna's  perfidy, 
we  <Tive  the  following  account: — Captain  Place,  a  com- 
mander of  an  American  merchant  ship,  who  had  arrived  at 
Vera  Cruz  in  ihe  ship  Scotia,  since  my  own  landing,  was 
arrested  on  the  same  charge,  without  the  least  shadow  of 
proof  that  he  had  ever  had  any  intercourse  or  connection 
with  the  Americans  who  already  were  committed  to  prison; 
but,  to  the  contrary,  had  never  seen  them,  was  also  incar- 
cerated in  a  loathsome  and  vile  prison  at  Vera  Cruz. 
The  object  of  Captain  Place's  visit  to  that  city  was  to 
collect  from  the  Mexican  government  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  dollars,  which  was  due  to  him,  for  supplies  fur- 
nished the  Mexican  army  during  the  war  with  Yucatan, 
in  its  late  and  glorious  struggle  for  independence.  As  it 
regards  the  case  of  the  American  sea-captain,  as  I  was 
informed  by  a  highly  respectable  gentleman  of  his  profes- 
sion, it  was  obvious  to  all,  that  he  had  given  no  provocation 
whatever  for  an  impeachment  to  be  brought  against  him,  to 
the  effect  of  his  being  an  accomplice  with  the  Texians,  as 
the  dictator  was  pleased  to  denominate  the  American  citi- 
zens, whom  he  had  charged  with  a  design  to  assassinate  him. 
And  it  was  thought  to  be  the  intention  of  Santa  Anna,  thus 
to  pay  the  debt  of  Mexico,  by  forcing  Captain  Place  to  pur- 
chase his  liberty  at  the  dear  rate  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  he 
not  having  been  able,  up  to  the  time  of  my  leaving  Mexico, 
to  obtain  a  trial. 

TliC  only  comment,  which  every  lover  of  good  faith, 
among  (^hristian  people  of  every  country,  can  bestow  upon 
such  shameful  and  barbarous  conduct,  (w^hich  the  honoura- 
ble portkjn  of  the  world,  but  for  the  publicity  of  the  facts, 
will  be  hard  of  believing,  that  one  occupying  so  high  a 
place  as  Santa  Anna  could  be  guilty  of,)  is,  that  if  the  United 
States  cannot,  in  future,  jn'otect  its  citizens  abroad,  its  na- 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  53 

tional  honour  will  be  for  ever  tarnished,  and  its  boasted 
strength  prove  to  be  but  pompous  imbecihty. 

My  stay  in  Vera  Cruz  was  four  days,  and  on  the  23d 
inst.  my  Louisiana  friend  and  self  united  a  small  allowance 
of  clothing  in  the  same  trunk,  a  small  one  purchased  for  the 
occasion,  and  designed  for  innnediate  uses  on  the  road,  and 
at  the  city  of  Mexico,  until  our  baggage  should  arrive  there. 
We  were  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  such  a  resort,  or 
else  hazard  the  loss  of  all  our  trunks  by  the  robbers  on  the 
way.  We,  therefore,  with  drafts  on  houses  in  Mexico  in 
our  pockets,  called  by  the  Mexicans  lihreances,  and  but  fif- 
teen dollars  in  hand  for  expenses,  having  previously  for- 
warded our  trunks  by  the  conductor,  and  w  hich  w-ere  to  ar- 
rive at  the  city  of  Mexico  in  eighteen  days  from  the  time  of 
their  departure  from  Vera  Cruz,  took  our  leave  of  the  city. 

The  price  of  the  transportation  agreed  on,  was  ten  dol- 
lars for  each  trunk.  I  found  that  to  travel  in  Mexico,  it  is 
necessary  to  part  with  your  baggage,  and  but  occasionally 
to  meet  with  it,  as  you  w^ould  some  dear  friend,  w^ho  would 
be  so  obliging  as  to  make  you  an  occasional  loan,  to  supply 
your  immediate  necessities. 

Our  names  having  been  entered  at  the  dear  rate  of  fifty 
dollars  per  seat  in  the  diligencia,  my  departure  was  made, 
in  company  with  four  Americans,  two  Mexicans,  one  Bel- 
gian, one  Irishman  and  an  English  lady  and  her  two  chil- 
dren. As  the  time  appointed  for  the  dihgencia  to  leave  on 
its  journey  was  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  it  was  a  source  of 
much  regret  to  us  all,  as  we  would  have  the  more  to  hazard 
our  lives  and  property  by  departing  at  so  late  an  hour,  as 
the  vehicle  had  been  robbed  on  the  three  trips  previous, 
almost  at  the  gates  of  Vera  Cruz,  on  one  of  which  occa- 
sions a  passenger  lost  his  hand. 

Although  it  was  of  service  to  me,  as  I  did  not  understand 
the  Spanish  language,  yet  I  could  not  but  feel  diverted  when 
a  friend,  who  had  interested  himself  in  my  behalf,  informed 
me  of  the  words  of  command  I  would  receive,  if  attacked 


54  TRAVELSJN    MEXICO. 

by  the  robbers  or  Ladrones,  as  they  are  called  in  that  lan- 
guage; which  were  ''  hoca  haje"  which  phrase,  being  trans- 
lated into  plain  English,  means  "  Stick  j^our  mouth  in  the 
dust;"  a  peremptory  order,  indeed,  for  unoffending  travellers 
to  receive,  who  were  about  to  be  stripped  of  their  property; 
and,  if  remonstrance  or  resistance  should  be  offered,  their 
lives  also.  When  tlie  brigands  hail  the  diligencia,  the  driver 
instantly  comes  to  a  halt,  as  he  well  knows,  that,  if  he 
should  crack  his  whip,  and  try  to  make  safe  his  retreat  from 
their  murderous  designs,  (and  sad  experience  has  convinced 
him  also  by  the  downfall  of  others,)  his  life,  on  an  after  oc- 
casion, must  pay  the  forfeit ;  and,  therefore,  whenTa  halt  is 
called,  the  poor  passengers  are  invited,  by  the  ladrones,  to 
descend  the  steps  and  extend  themselves,  at  full  length,  with 
their  mouths  to  the  earth;  from  which  position,  if  they 
should  have  the  temerity  to  stir,  they  must  receive  either 
the  flat  side,  or  the  sharp  edge  of  a  broad-sword.  But,  as 
we  had  been  promised  a  double  escort  of  soldiers,  by  the 
commandant  of  the  garrison,  to  protect  us  from  the  much 
dreaded  ladrones,  we  had  but  little  anticipation  of  being  in- 
terrupted. 

How  disagreeable  it  is  to  the  traveller,  wearied  and  fa- 
tigued as  he  may  be,  to  be  deprived  of  even  the  pleasure  of 
looking  out  upon  the  prospect  of  the  country,  wdthout  the 
dreaded  idea  of  beholding  land-pirates  in  ambush,  or  in  the 
full  gallop  of  pursuit ;  but  how  much  more  disgraceful  it  is 
for  a  government  to  tolerate,  by  their  neglect  to  suppress 
the  evil,  so  dishonourable,  unchristian,  and  criminal  as  it  is, 
by  permitting  such  things  to  be  so  universally  practised,  not 
only  upon  the  inost  public  thoroughfares,  but  throughout  the 
whole  vast  extent  of  the  Mexican  dominions.  It  is  a  sin 
peculiar  to  themselves,  which  should  cover  them  with  shame 
and  the  contempt  of  the  world. 

It  is  a  crime  which  cries  aloud  to  heaven  to  scourge  a  na- 
tion for  their  acts  of  commission  and  omission ;  and,  as  ad- 
ditional evidence  of  the  testimony  given  by  all  travellers  in 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  .  55 

Mexico,  and  well  deserving  the  attention  of  the  incredulous, 
who  find  it  diflicult  to  believe  that  such  enormities  should 
not  only  be  most  open,  but  of  outrageously  frequent  oc- 
currence, they  have  only  to  be  reminded  of  the  notori- 
ous robberies  committed  upon  two  of  the  American  min- 
isters in  a  brief  space  of  each  other,  viz.  Mr.  Shannon, 
accredited  to  the  government  of  Mexico;  and  Mr.  Gushing, 
returning  from  China.  True,  Santa  Anna  expressed  his 
sorrow  for  the  unfortunate  Americans,  but  his  sympathy 
was  as  much  felt  at  heart,  as  are  the  tears  of  the  crocodile. 
It  would  have  been  more  congenial  to  his  avaricious  feel- 
ings to  have  felt  in  his  pocket  the  results  of  the  barbarous 
transactions,  than  to  have  wasted  one  moment's  grief  for 
the  unfortunate  ministers. 

Understanding,  as  I  now  do,  the  duplicity  of  the  Mexi- 
cans, and  their  policy,  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  some  in 
power  should  have  known  more  of  Mr.  Shannon's  robbery 
than  might  become  them ;  for  all  must  remember  the  pen- 
dency of  the  Texian  question  at  that  time.  But  as  Santa 
Anna  and  his  officers  are  the  acknowledged  heads  of  a  band 
of  pirates,  it  cannot  be  astonishing  that  he  should  tolerate 
such  deeds;  unless  the  ladrones  should  again  steal  his  wood- 
en leg,  and  throw  him  in  a  passion,  as  it  once  happened, 
when  he  caused  the  robbers  to  disgorge. 


5g  T  E  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    .AI  E  X  I  C  O . 


CHAPTER   IV. 

At  II  o'clock  ilie  (liligcncia  in  waiting;.  Two  Mt-xicans  on  the  back  seat.  Refusal  to  give 
it  up  fur  a  lady.  Dti>ai-tui-e  from  Vera  Cruz.  Escort.  Sand  flies.  Drifted  sand. 
Large  beetle,  Cociiys.  Vera  Cruz  road,  the  same  that  Cortes  travelled.  Tieri-a  ca- 
liente.  Varieties  of  flowers  and  shrubbery.  Sultry  heat.  Halt  of  the  diligtncia  at  the 
Kanclio.  The  escort  takes  leave.  The  mad  paved  like  a  9tr<et  upward  of  throe  hun- 
dred miles.  President,  Emperor  and  Dictator.  Numerous  bridges.  La  Puenta  del  Ray. 
Breakfast.  Romantic  and  sublime  scenery,  Sania  Anna's  new  building.  First  day's 
ride.  AVild  scenci-y.  Tierra  templada.  Stately  forest.  Varieties  of  mnsquite  tree. 
Orizava  is  not  a  jiart  of  the  Perote  mountains.  Grand  view  of  tlie  Orizava.  The 
cojuitry  volcanic.  Lara.  Jalapa.  AVealtli  of  the  Dictator.  The  medicine  Jal^pa.  The 
Plaza.  The  ladies  of  Jalapa.  Departure  from  Jalapa.  Humid  vapours.  Houses  of 
seeds,  sticks  and  earth.  The  aborigines.  Tomb  of  an  old  Sjianiard.  Picturesque  scene- 
ry. The  plain  of  Perote.  Andes  and  Cordilleras.  Pastoral  country.  Pueblos  built  of 
sun-burnt  brick.  Roman  Catholic  hnuse  of  worsh.ip.  The  haciendas.  Ploughs  in  Mex- 
ico. Two  perpetually  snow-capped  peaks.  Arrival  at  Pueblo.  Priests  imposing  on  the 
people.  Cathedral  of  Pueblo.  The  motintains  covered  with  large  timber.  Arriaros. 
Mules  loaded  with  silver.  Valley  of  Mexico.  The  promised  land.  Geography  of  the 
v.-illcy  of  Mexico.  A  grand  scene.  Sterility  of  soil.  Lake  region.  Hot  springs.  Vol- 
canic emptions.  'I'he  causeway.  Environs  of  Mexico.  Lofty  steeples.  Arrived  at  the 
city  of  Mexico  on  tlie  26th  Nov.     Custom-house.     Gran  Sociadad  and  Holy  Ghost  street. 

At  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  23d  inst.,  the  dili- 
gencia  \vas  waiting  for  its  passengers,  and  on  their  arrival 
it  was  discovered  that  the  two  Mexicans  had  already  se- 
cured the  back  seat.  The  gentleman  who  had  the  English 
lady  in  charge,  politely  requested  one  of  the  Mexicans  to 
give  up  his  place,  so  that  he,  her  protector,  could  be  seated 
by  her,  and  assist  in  holding  her  children.  But  to  my  sur- 
prise, contrary  to  all  usages  of  stage-coach  travelling  in  the 
United  States,  and  to  every  thing  else  that  I  have  observed 
in  the  distinguished  politeness  of  the  Mexican  people,  they 
positively  refused ;  and  the  lady,  who  could  only  ride  on  a 
back  seat,  was  obliged  to  be  positioned  between  the  two  in- 
teresting Mexicans;  they  refusing  also  to  give  up  the  sides 
to  a  lady  with  an  infant  in  her  arms.  I  have  been  inform- 
ed, by  gentlemen  who  have  travelled  in  Europe,  that  such 
is  the  stubborn  unkindncss  by  which  ladies  are  treated  on 
that  enlightened  continent,  and  it  has  been  with  many  feel- 
ings of  shame  that  I  have  heard  gentlemen,  travelling  in 


TRAVELS    IN    MRXICO. 


57 


steamboats  and  stage  coaches  in  the  Union,  express  them- 
selves, that  Americans  pay  too  much  attention  to  ladies;  yet 
it  has  ever  been  my  opinion,  that  if  politeness  should  ever 
be  extended  from  one  human  being  to  another,  where  a 
sacrifice  of  interest  was  to  be  made,  without  exception, 
the  mothers  of  the  human  family  should  command  that  of- 
fering. 

Having  made  our  exit  from  the  city  of  Vera  Cruz  through 
the  northern  gate,  we  were  met  by  our  escort,  mounted 
on  small  pacing  nags,  with  jingling  spurs,  rattling  swords 
and  carbines.  Our  direction  lay,  for  the  most  part  of  the 
night,  along  the  margin  of  the  sea,  the  road  being  over  the 
drifted  sand,  often  blown  up  and  re-modelled  by  the  northers; 
and  during  our  ride  over  it,  we  were  much  annoyed  by  the 
sand  fly  peculiar  to  that  region,  as  also  by  the  slow  rate  the 
team  of  eight  animals  drew  the  sinking  wheels  of  the  dili- 
gencia  over  the  ponderous  road.  During  the  night  the  air 
was  filled  with  a  species  of  large  beetle,  by  name  Cociajos. 
These  displayed  wandering  or  floating  fires,  caused  by  in- 
tense phosphoric  light,  emitted  from  their  bodies,  said  to  be 
strong  enough  to  enable  a  person  to  read  by ;  and  I  was 
reminded  of  the  unparalleled  victory  which,  in  that  re- 
gion of  country,  Cortes,  with  but  two  hundred  of  his  fol- 
lowers, obtained  over  nearly  one  thousand  of  his  fellow 
countrymen,  under  the  command  of  Narvez ;  the  enemy 
mistaking  the  lights  of  the  insect  for  so  many  matchlocks  of 
their  assailants.  Our  track  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  city  of 
Mexico,  was  the  same,  or  nearly  so,  which  the  immortal 
Cortes  and  his  brave  companions  travelled  in  the  early  con- 
quest of  the  country,  leaving  desolation  and  slaughtered 
thousands  to  cover  his  footprints ;  and  my  mind  was  often 
filled  with  the  many  wonderful  exploits  performed  by  a  few 
hundred  of  the  most  chivalrous  spirits  known  in  the  early 
period  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

My  journey,  for  the  most  part  of  the  first  day,  was 
over  scorched  plains,  having  the  temperature  of  the  equi- 


58  T  U  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

noctial  regions.  This  hot  country,  belting  the  whole  coast 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  extends  into  the  interior,  a  distance 
of  about  fifty  miles,  and  is  denominated  the  tierra  caliente. 
Notwithstanding  we  had  to  delve  our  way  over  parched 
sands,  yet  there  was  often  to  be  seen  the  deep  black  mould 
of  fertile  soil,  on  which  was  inconceivable  luxuriancy  of 
growth  of  many  varieties  of  lovely  aspect,  and  of  aromatic 
wild  flowers,  and  shrubbery,  mingled  and  matted  w-ith  the 
larger  and  smaller  species  of  the  umbrageous  musquite 
growths,  so  impenetrable,  through  its  multifarious  thickness, 
to  the  view  of  man.  Although  the  romantic  beauties  of 
this  region  were  so  pleasing  to  the  eye,  yet  from  the  suffo- 
cating oppression  produced  from  the  sultry  and  relaxing 
heat  of  the  tierra  caliente,  I  was  extremely  impatient  to 
ascend  a  higher  temperature,  more  agreeable  to  my  feehngs; 
and  also  to  be  transported  to  an  element  beyond  the  reach 
of  malaria  vomito. 

It  was  not  until  after  day  light  that  I  had  my  reflections 
called  home,  by  the  sudden  halt  of  the  diligencia  at  a 
Rancho,  a  collection  of  farm  huts ;  and  before  I  had  time  to 
think  what  was  to  be  done,  one  of  the  soldiers  of  our  guard 
had  rode  close  to  the  side  of  the  diligencia,  and  informed 
the  passengers  that,  there  we  were  to  have  a  new  escort, 
adding  also  in  the  most  polite  manner,  that  he  and  his  com- 
panions were  about  to  leave  us  to  our  destinies ;  all  this  was 
said  with  a  most  quizzical  leer  of  his  shining  black  eye  at 
his  military  cap,  which  he  had  extended  to  the  window  of 
the  carriage.  The  hint  was  too  impressive  to  be  I'esisted, 
and  after  every  passenger  had  fingered  his  small  change, 
and  heard  its  parting  jingle  in  the  soldier's  helmet,  the  hero 
of  the  night  took  his  accomplished  leave. 

An  escort  of  Mexican  soldiers,  who  are  about  to  be  re- 
lieved, are  very  particular  in  imparting  the  fact  to  travel- 
lers, and  one  of  them  will  always  linger  with  his  extended 
hat  in  his  hand,  to  receive  any  donations  which  may  be 
thrown  into  it;  when  this  is  performed,  he  takes  his  affec- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


59 


tionate  adieu,  and  wishes  the  passengers  a  pleasant  journey. 
Such  duns  proved  to  be  troublesome,  from  the  frequent 
change  of  escort;  which,  in  some  cases,  would  not  have  mer- 
rily trotted  after  us  more  than  two  or  three  miles,  before  we 
would  have  to  take  leave  of  the  corporal  and  his  command, 
by  each  of  us  handing  over  our  twenty-five  cents.  And  I 
would  therefore  advise  the  Minister  of  War  to  consult  with 
the  Minister  of  Finance,  as  to  more  ad  caplandum  ivays  and 
vftaiis  of  filching  the  "  rhino"  from  the  pockets  of  defence- 
less* men,  women  and  children,  who  may  be  so  unfortunate 
as  to  travel  in  the  great  republic  of  Mexico.  Of  little  ser- 
vice does  this  guard  often  prove  to  be,  to  those  depending 
on  them ;  for,  as  I  was  told,  at  the  first  sight  of  the  bristled 
ladrones,  the  brave  soldiers  clap  their  spurs  to  the  sides  of 
their  steeds,  and  make  safe  their  retreat.  However,  as  in 
Mexico,  great  show  does  much  good,  and  thereby  as  much 
dehghts  the  Dictator,!  could  not  but  be  reminded  of  the  heroic 
proposition  made  by  the  commander  of  the  Chinese  forces 
to  the  British  general,  to  fight  their  battles  with  blank  car- 
tridges, as  the  Emperor  would  be  just  as  much  pleased  Math 
the  reports  of  the  guns,  as  if  they  had  real  lead  bullets  in 
them. 

But  to  return  from  the  digression.  Having  descended 
from  the  diligencia  at  the  Rancho,  where  our  first  change 
of  animals  was  made,  I  expressed  my  surprise  when  I  dis- 
covered that  the  road  I  had  travelled  was  broad,  and  paved 
with  round  stone,  precisely  as  the  principal  streets  are  in 
towns  and  cities  in  the  United  States.  The  road,  which 
looked  to  me  like  a  well-improved  street,  had,  to  prevent  the 
washing  of  the  pavement  by  the  rains,  on  the  outer  side  of 
its  broad  curbing,  capacious  conductors,  formed  of  cement, 
in  which  article,  from  some  cause  I  did  not  ascertain,  the 
Mexicans  seem  to  excel  all  other  nations:  or  else,  those 
sluices  were  strongly  paved,  and  not  unfrequently,  at  long 
and  steep  hills,  they  have  been  hewn  out  of  solid  rock,  and 
laid  in  their  places  with  admirable  masonic  precision. 


QQ  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

It  was  with  much  agreeable  disappointment  I  was  inform- 
ed, that  the  road  had,  for  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles 
and  upwards,  been  finished  by  the  old  Spaniards,  precisely 
in  the  same  fashion ;  but  it  had  been  suffered  in  many  places 
to  go  to  decay  by  the  Mexicans,  from  a  want  of  energy, 
having  exhausted  all  of  their  resources  in  revolutions,  and 
the  making  of  Presidents,  Emperors,  and  Dictators — 7nen  so 
great — that  upon  the  broad  expanse  of  this  whole  earth,  the 
like  have  never  been  seen;  wdiile,  at  the  same  time,  the  goc^d 
people  have  been  vastly  imposed  on  and  benighted  in  their 
downward  condition.  The  numerous  bridges,  spanning 
ravines  and  water  courses,  all  of  arched  masonry,  are  equal 
to  any  of  the  kind  that  I  have  seen  or  read  of,  and  their 
antiquity  has  proved  their  durability.  This  road  has,  for  its 
protection  against  the  invasions  of  foreign  foes,  and  espe- 
cially the  buccaneers  of  former  times,  castles  erected  on  the 
most  commanding  eminences  and  passes,  such  as  La  Puente 
del  Rtfiy,  Perote,  &c. 

The  diligcncia  arrived  at  La  Puente  del  I^y,  now  call- 
ed the  Peoples'  Bridge,  in  time  for  breakfast,  and  at  that 
place  I  took  my  meal,  for  the  first  time  in  a  country  public 
house  of  entertainment  in  Mexico,  and  more  miserable  food 
I  never  partook  of.  Nine  persons  sat  down  in  low  chairs 
to  a  high  and  ponderous  old  table,  on  a  dirt  floor,  which  had 
spread  on  it  an  earthen  bowl  of  half-done  black  beans, 
called  Frijoles,  and  a  like  shaped  bowl  containing  stewed 
chicken,  similarly  cooked.  To  complete  the  repast,  \\c  had 
sweetened  bread  to  chime  with  the  other  delicious  varieties. 

Although  for  an  Englishman  half-raw  beef  is  requisite,  I 
never  yet  found  the  human  being  who  could  eat  half-done 
fowl.  The  old  Belgian  doctor,  who  constituted  one  of  our 
party,  declared  that  he  had  been  so  badly  fed  in  some  parts 
of  Mexico  upon  half-cooked  chickens,  that  he  had,  in  self 
defence,  been  obliged  to  live  on  little  monlicys. 

Although  the  scenery  of  La  Puente  del  Ray  w'as  truly 
romantic  and  sublime,  by  our  being  positioned  in  a  deep 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


61 

gorge  between  two  mountains,  or  high  hills,  which  abruptly 
rose  upon  both  hands,  the  green  moss-covered  rocks  of 
whose  precipitous  sides  hung  in  festoons  of  wild  vines  and 
flowers,  in  all  the  luxuriance  of  a  tropical  climate,  the  sum- 
mit of  the  one  being  crowned  by  a  frowning  old  deserted 
castle,  and  both  having  at  the  same  time  a  thicklj^  matted, 
shaggy  mane  of  musquite  and  other  forest  growths,  upon 
their  heights,  while  a  rapid  crystal  stream  washed  the  feet 
of  each,  making  its  exit  from  under  the  spanned  arches  of 
La  Puente  del  Ray;  yet  with  an  unsatisfied  appetite,  to 
my  view,  it  possessed  a  dark  and  loathsome  appearance. 

Near  to  the  Cascasa  Diligencia,  the  illustrious  Santa 
Anna  was  finishing  a  new  building,  which  would  cost,  as  I 
was  informed,  fifty  thousand  dollars.  It  might  have  been 
in  consequence  of  the  bad  fare  I  had  received  at  the  place, 
but  I  was  of  the  opinion,  that  I  would  not  have  consented 
to  reside  in  the  Dictator's  palace,  if,  for  so  doing,  I  should 
receive  the  property  from  him  as  a  donation,  and  I  rejoiced 
when  the  diligencia  was  ready  to  depart  from  it. 

My  first  day's  ride  into  the  interior  of  Mexico,  was  not 
only  interesting,  but  a  new  scene  cf  existence  to  me.  For. 
as  the  morning's  sun  had  cast  his  illuminating  rays  over  the 
wild  native  scenery  through  which  I  was  travelling,  and  I 
could  at  times  behold,  both  far  and  near,  a  view  spread  out 
before  me,  differing  from  any  thing  before  seen,  which  my 
fondest  anticipations  had  imagined  of  its  singular  beauty. 
I  had  in  fact  ascended  to  the  second  eminence,  or  table 
land,  called  the  tierra  templada,  or  temperate  region. 

Although  the  landscape,  to  my  view,  had  changed  by 
being  removed  from  the  gay  sultry  region  of  many  blos- 
soming flowers,  that  borders  upon  the  sea ;  the  temperate 
zone  abounded  in  a  more  stately  growth  of  forest,  for  with 
the  varieties  of  the  musquite,  and  the  liquid  amber  tree,  I 
now  beheld  the  tall  and  majestic  cypress ;  and  as  the  dili- 
gencia would  now  and  then  wind  down  some  craggy  steep, 
into  a  deep  glen,  where  my  ears  would  be  stunned  by  the  wild 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


62 

screams  of  the  parrots,  and  all  the  other  beautifully  plumed 
feathered  tribes;  it  was  only  necessary  to  ascend  the  oppo- 
site height,  to  be  transported  again  into  the  tierra  templada, 
there  to  perceive  the  forest,  a  perfect  medley,  from  its  being 
indiscriminately  mixed,  and  the  whole  w^oods  so  thickly 
matted  and  entwined,  being  apparently  impervious  to  the 
footsteps  of  animals,  with  a  scrubby,  bushy  growth  of  deep- 
est green  colour,  wdiich  unconsciously  makes  the  eye  de- 
light to  dvv-ell  upon  it. 

It  should  not  now  be  neglected  to  remark,  that  much  to 
my  enjoyment  I  discovered  the  Orizava  was  not  a  portion 
of  the  range  of  mountains  as  before  described,  which  holds 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  its  place,  as  it  appeared  to  be  when 
first  seen  by  me  from  the  sea.  But  on  the  contrary,  its 
towering  height,  as  seen  above  all  other  eminences,  de- 
ceived me  by  its  distance,  and  I  now  discovered  that  the 
Orizava  was  far  into  the  interior,  and  that  I  should  have  the 
privilege  of  looking  up  to  it  at  any  moment,  while  travelling 
the  burning  plains  beneath;  and  whilst  the  sun  was  shining 
on  me  with  intense  heat,  I  could  find  some  relief  from  my 
suflTerings  by  simply  casting  my  eyes  up  to  the  region  of 
perpetual  winter,  and  as  I  looked  upon  the  height,  it  seemed 
to  be  a  crystal  hemisphere,  against  which  the  rays  of  light 
appeared  to  delight  in  spangled  splendour,  to  sport  time 
away;  while,  at  the  same  moment,  the  many  coloured 
clouds'  beneath  appeared  to  struggle  and  roll  in  solemn 
grandeur,  to  acquire  their  native  supremacy,  and  thus 
crown  the  monarch  of  mountains. 

As  I  progressed  on  my  way,  it  was  plainly  perceptible 
that  the  whole  region  of  country  was  volcanic,  and  that  the 
hills  and  mountains  did  not  the  more  exhibit  this  appearance 
than  the  vales  and  plains ;  for  not  a  rock,  at  any  time,  was 
to  be  seen,  which  did  not  show  that  its  formation  was  by 
fire.  All  visible,  was  lava,  and  indeed,  I  travelled  over  a 
valley,  every  foot  of  which  was  covered  with  it,  having 
been  shot  up  in  spherical  forms,  and  yet  there  was  no  moun- 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  go 

tain  near,  of  conical  formation,  from  whence  the  lava  could 
have  been  heaved  into  the  valley  by  volcanic  eruption. 

My  first  day's  journey  from  the  city  of  Vera  Cruz  was 
to  Jalapa,  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles,  over  a  road  dis- 
agreeable to  travel  on,  in  consequence  of  the  continued  jour- 
ney, and  the  thundering  noise  of  the  heavy  diligencia  on 
the  pavement.  And  be  it  remembered,  by  way  of  giving 
an  idea  of  the  wealth  of  the  Dictator  of  the  Republic  of 
Mexico,  that  all  of  the  lands  over  which  I  had  that  day  tra- 
velled, as  I  was  informed,  were  exclusively  the  property  of 
Santa  Anna. 

Jalapa  is  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  and  agreeable  town 
in  Mexico,  and  a  place  of  retreat  from  the  vomito,  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  tierra  caliente.  Perpetual  spring  has  her 
reign  there,  and  vegetation,  therefore,  is  ever  verdant  and 
blooming.  It  is  from  that  town  that  the  medicine,  to  be 
found  at  the  apothecaries,  has  derived  its  name.  I  was 
told  that,  for  a  long  period  after  the  conquest,  this  vegetable 
medicine  was  brought  into  market  by  the  Indians,  from  the 
mountains,  where  the  snakes  were  so  abundant  and  danger- 
ous, that  the  white  man  never  had  the  temerity  to  adventure 
for  it. 

The  town  is  built  upon  the  steep  declivity  of  a  hill.  In 
the  Plaza,  as  it  is  called,  or  the  market  square,  I,  for  the 
first  time,  beheld  the  Mexicans  retailing  their  fruits,  vege- 
tables, bread-stuffs,  and  meats  to  the  citizens,  and  a  filthy 
operation  it  was.  Their  marketing  was  heaped  upon  mats, 
or  cotton  cloths  spread  upon  the  pavement  of  the  place, 
which  was  resorted  to  by  both  man  and  beast.  It  was  here 
I  left  the  old  Belgian  doctor,  again  to  take  his  chances  for 
little  monkeys  or  half-cooked  chicken,  not  though,  without 
having  first  learned  from  him  many  interesting  things  of  the 
people  amongst  whom  I  had  to  travel. 

That  w^hich  I  chiefly  delighted  in,  while  at  Jalapa, 
was  the  pleasing  sight  of  the  ladies,  whose  beauty  seemed 
to  partake  of  the  eternal  blossoming  of  their  native  region ; 


g4  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O . 

for  smiling  loveliness  appeared  to  have  partially  de- 
lighted to  dwell  upon  their  symmetrically  angelic  counte- 
nances, and  while  they  could  often  be  seen  peering  from 
behind  the  grated  windows  adorned  with  flowers, — yet  no 
blossom  was  half  so  lovely,  as  the  sweet  rose  that  bloomed 
under  the  soft  delicate  brunette  hue  of  their  cheeks. 

At  10  o'clock,  on  the  following  morning  after  my  arrival 
at  Jalapa,  I  again  took  my  departure  in  the  diligencia,  that 
day,  to  commence  my  ascent  to  the  plain  of  Perote.  I  was 
then  about  to  leave  a  region  of  perpetual  humidity,  and 
eternally  green  verdure  ;  for  in  the  economy  of  nature,  an  all 
beneficent  Providence  has  ordered,  that,  as  the  rains  do  not 
descend  in  that  country  for  nine  months  in  the  year,  the 
earth  may  be  irrigated  by  humid  vapours  taken  up  from  the 
sea,  and  descending  on  the  lands,  appearing  like  clouds,  as 
they  slowly  and  gently  skimmed  over,  kissing  as  it  were, 
with  liquid  lips,  the  fields  and  spontaneous  growth ;  and  by 
which  means  the  germing  vegetation,  absorbing  the  va- 
pours, receives  a  sufficient  nourishment  to  mature  perfection. 

I  had  frequently  observed,  as  I  journeyed  forward, 
houses  built  upon  the  road-side  of  reeds  and  sticks,  set 
up  endways,  and  thatched  with  rank  grass  or  palm  leaves — 
huts  that  indeed  must  have  been  very  airy  ;  for  between 
every  reed  and  stick,  interstices  had  been  left  for  the  free 
circulation  of  the  atmosphere  through  the  habitation. 

I  observed  also,  at  greater  distances  from  the  road,  a  num- 
ber of  mounds  thrown  up  as  it  were  to  the  height  of  from 
ten  to  twenty  feet,  of  conical  form.  These  hillocks  seemed 
to  have  been  irregularly,  and  without  design,  cast  up  like  so 
many  ant-hills,  and  I  at  first  imagined  them  to  be  Indian 
mounds  or  sepulchres,  for  the  slain  of  some  battle-field, 
or  monuments  of  the  aborigines  of  the  country.  I  was 
surprised  to  find  that  these  were  likewise  dwelling-places, 
and  filled  with  inhabitants ;  being  dirt-houses,  which  had 
been  thrown  up  to  prevent  the  intolerable  heat  of  the  sun 
from  penetrating  through  them. 


TRAVELSINMEXICO.  gg 

If  I  should  be  asked  ^vho  or  what  arc  the  population  to 
be  met  with  upon  the  highways,  I  would  answer  that,  to  me, 
they  seemed  to  be  but  the  original  Totonacs  and  Compoal- 
bans  who  were  in  possession  of  that  part  of  the  country 
when  Cortes  discovered  it;  for  the  complexion  and  out- 
ward appearance  of  the  larger  number  of  people  that  I  met 
with,  were  of  the  tawny  and  Indian  caste,  and,  from  their 
meek  and  spiritless  appearance,  a  stranger  would  little  sup- 
pose that  murder  and  rapine  w^ere  the  predominant  traits  of 
their  character ;  and  if  any  should  be  incredulous  of  the  fact, 
it  will  only  be  necessary  for  them  to  travel  once  the  thor- 
oughfare from  the  city  of  Mexico  to  Vera  Cruz,  to  behold 
upon  either  hand  the  sad  and  many  emblems  of  the  crucifix 
over  fallen  travellers.  And  I  do  verily  believe  that  there  is 
not  a  mile  of  that  melancholy  road,  that  has  not  flowed 
with  the  blood  of  plundered  and  murdered  individuals. 

After  ascending  a  high  hill  which,  in  fact,  grew  into  a 
mountain,  about  nine  miles  from  Jalapa,  to  the  left  hand,  was 
a  vault,  which  had  an  old  Spaniard  deposited  in  it,  in  a  stand- 
ing position,  looking  through  a  window  down  upon  the  road, 
and  I  had  no  doubt  but  that  as  the  old  fellow  had  been  the 
terror  of  the  highway  when  living,  and  the  feeling  predom- 
inant in  death  caused  him  thus  to  dispose  of  his  mortal  re- 
mains, that  his  ghastly  aspect  might,  in  grim  death,  frighten 
travellers.  This,  perhaps,  was  the  same  spirit  that  induced 
a  celebrated  horse-racer  of  my  own  State,  w^ho,  when  dy- 
ing, directed  that  his  body  should  be  buried  upright,  under 
the  judges'  stand  of  a  race-track,  with  his  face  towards  the 
coming-out  place. 

But  as  I  was  going  also  to  remark — to  the  right  hand  I 
beheld  a  scene  of  the  most  picturesque  sublimity  of  any  other 
that  had  come  under  my  view ;  and  the  reader  must  not 
consider  my  raptures  extravagant,  in  my  admiration  of  the 
face  of  nature,  in  this  country,  for  pen  cannot  describe  the 
excess  of  romantic  beauty  it  affords,  when  seen  in  a  volca- 
nic region,  under  a  tropical  sun,  and  as  he  approaches  each 
5 


66 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


object  in  regular  succession,  every  thing  in  its  turn  will  ap- 
pear the  most  grand — the  most  wonderful. 

Whilst  ascending  the  road  which  lay  on  the  side  of  a 
mountain,  on  turning  iny  attention  to  the  right  hand,  I  look- 
ed over  an  extensive  valley,  spotted  with  farms,  and  having 
a  village  in  its  centre,  sending  up  high  above  its  walls  its 
many  spires,  pointing  to  the  heavens.  As  I  raised  my 
eyes  above  the  plain,  a  lofty  cataract  met  my  view,  appa- 
rently guslnng  in  one  large  and  solid  body  of  water  about 
midway  from  the  far  distant  opposite  mountain ;  and  near 
to  the  fall  of  water,  was  another  village  just  above  it,  situ- 
ated on  a  slip  of  table  land,  stretching  along  the  side  of  the 
high  mountain.  To  reaUze  the  grandeur  of  the  view,  would 
oblige  any  one  to  see  it  for  himself  I  solicit  the  reader  to 
picture  to  his  mind  two  lovely  villages,  in  sight  at  the  same 
time — one  in  the  plain  beneath  him,  the  other  sitting  like  the 
Queen  of  cities  on  the  slope  of  a  towering  height ;  while 
the  silvery  tide  of  a  pure,  foaming  and  bounding  stream  wa- 
ters the  valley  beneath.  At  the  same  time,  the  tolling  of 
the  bells,  from  the  many  cupolas  of  the  villa  in  the  valley, 
came  sweetly  echoed  back  by  those  of  the  village  on  the 
mountain  in  the  distance,  in  tones  just  heard — like  the 
scarcely  audible  melodious  strains  of  the  TEolian  harp,  to 
charm  the  weary  to  sleep,  and  the  sleeping  to  dreams  of 
Elysium,  and  the  traveller  from  the  bosom  of  his  family  and 
home. 

My  journey  to  the  Pueblo,  a  village  and  castle  of  Perote, 
was  unaccompanied  by  an  incident  worthy  of  remark,  since 
on  that  day  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  escape  meeting  with 
the  Vohntier  Gard,  a  band  of  ladrones,  who  had  given  them- 
selves that  distinguished  appellation.  Yet  the  view  of  the 
country,  whenever  I  chose  to  look  abroad  for  recreation  or 
information,  was  always  instructive  and  full  of  interest.  I 
was  then  about  to  enter  the  tierra  fria,  or  the  cold  region, 
the  last  great  natural  elevation  that  would  place  me  on  the 
summit  of  the  Andes,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  Cordilleras,  as 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O  .  g.y 

they  spread  out  over  the  table  land  of  Mexico,  as  the  Andes 
pass  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  The  general  elevation  of  the 
table  land  of  Mexico  is  estimated  at  about  six  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  but  gradually  declines  towards 
the  northern  departments. 

The  plain  of  Perote  is  said  to  have  been,  in  the  time  of 
the  Aztecs,  covered  with  a  forest  of  heavy  growth ;  but,  to 
my  view,  it  possessed  not  a  single  tree,  or  spontaneous  shrub. 
All  appeared  to  be  a  cold,  dry,  barren  waste,  in  the  midst  of 
which,  at  an  elevation  of  between  seven  and  eight  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  sat  the  dark  and  dreary- 
looking  castle  of  Perote  ;  whilst,  at  the  same  time,  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  although  it  appears  to  be  near  at  hand,  is 
the  Corfre  de  Perote,  with  a  large  square  rock  of  box-form 
crowning  its  summit,  from  which  the  mountain  takes  its 
name.  The  rock,  to  me,  looked  as  if  it  had  been  placed 
there  to  stop  a  hole  beneath ;  which,  perhaps,  if  the  Mexi- 
cans were  to  remove,  as  a  wag  once  observed,  they  could 
have  a  flame  of  fire  spouting  upwards,  sufficient  to  afford 
candle-light  for  every  family  in  the  whole  country. 

Corfre  de  Perote  is  said  to  be  at  an  elevation  of  about 
twelve  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  here,  although  it  is 
not  sufficiently  cold  to  induce  the  natives  to  have  chimneys 
to  their  houses,  or  fires  otherwise,  the  skin  of  either  man  or 
beast  is  never  suffused  with  moisture,  or  a  genial  glow  of 
warmth — the  whole  surface  having  a  perpetually  dry  and 
most  indescribably  uncomfortable  sensation,  which  produces 
a  despondency  and  loathsomeness  of  feeling,  perhaps  more 
sensibly  felt  at  Perote  than  at  any  other  district  of  Mexico. 

I  did  not  reach  the  Puebla  of  Perote  until  after  7  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  notwithstanding  my  anxious  solicitude  to  arrive  there 
sooner.  I  felt  desirous  of  seeing  the  Texians  who  were 
confined  in  the  fortress,  and  more  especially,  Mr.  Joseph  E. 
Cruse,  a  young  gentleman  who  had  been  raised  to  the  mer- 
cantile business  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  my  own  home.  But 
the  diligencia  arrived  too  late  for  the  castle  to  be  visited.   I 


68 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


had  much  sympathy  for  Mr.  C,  for  he  was  one  of  the  San 
Antonio  prisoners  who  was  not  taken  in  arms,  and  had  vis- 
ited Texas  to  recover  his  health ;  and  hard  was  his  fate,  to 
have,  shortly  after  my  visit,  paid  the  debt  of  nature,  in  so 
cheerless  a  place  as  Perote.  Grievous  must  it  have  been  to 
his  aged  parent  thus  to  part  with  a  son,  in  the  sunshine  of 
youth. 

At  Perote  my  fare  was  but  little  better  than  the  breakfast 
I  sat  down  to  on  the  first  day  of  my  travel,  and  1  hailed 
with  delight  the  summons  at  midnight  for  the  departure  of 
the  diligencia.  As  day  dawned,  the  objects  that  met  my 
view  were  the  Ranchos,  the  miserable  open  huts  inhabited 
by  Indians,  the  indolent  and  the  poor ;  and  heaven  knows 
how  they  obtain  a  living — certainly  I  do  not.  As  I  jour- 
neyed onward,  it  was  not  without  beholding  the  extended 
mode  of  cultivating  and  o-razino;  the  land ;  and  first  the  Ha- 

o  o  o  ' 

cienda,  a  farm  of  vast  extent,  covered  with  green  verdure, 
having  multitudes  of  stock  feeding  upon  it,  and  attended  by 
herdsmen  and  shepherds,  which  would  forcibly  recall  to  the 
mind  of  any  individual  the  days  of  the  Latins  so  poetically 
described  by  Virgil  in  his  Georgics. 

Generally,  of  near  proximity  to  the  hacienda,  would  be  a 
Pueblo,  built  of  sun-burnt  bricks,  called  a  dobis,  and  having 
also  its  costly  church  of  lofty  towers.  In  consequence  of 
the  indisposition  of  one  of  the  passengers  at  a  Pueblo,  we 
stopped  at  it ;  and  I  took  occasion,  for  the  first  time,  of  en- 
tering a  church  in  Mexico,  and  indeed  the  first  time  that  I 
had  ever  beheld  the  interior  of  a  completely  furnished  Ro- 
man Catholic  house  of  worship.  The  first  object  which 
met  my  view  was  a  badly  clad  lady,  who  no  doubt  needed 
the  consolations  of  religion,  for  the  expression  of  her  coun- 
tenance was  the  very  picture  of  sorrow.  She  was  surround- 
ed by  candles,  although  the  high  sun  never  burned  with 
more  brilliancy,  and  streamed  its  illuminating  rays  down 
through  the  great  dome  of  the  edifice ;  she  was  kneeling 
before  a   richly  gilt,  or  golden   altar,  on  which  was  a  full 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  gg 

length  likeness,  in  a  highly  ornamented  frame,  of  her  saint. 
My  attention  was  soon  diverted  from  her  devout  and  solemn 
aspect,  by  hearing  the  hcart-fclt  supplications  of  a  beautiful 
little  girl,  who  was  bowed  before,  to  me,  an  unknown  saint. 
My  eyes  also  caught  the  view  of  a  wax  figure,  dressed  in 
black,  and  with  a  flowing  robe.  That  statue,  I  remarked  to 
a  passenger,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  was  a  good  like- 
ness of  Thomas  Jefferson  ;  but  he  informed  me  that  it  was 
intended  for  Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary.  I  replied  to  my 
good-natured  friend,  that  I  did  not  before  know  that  black 
silk  shorts  and  knee-buckles  were  worn  in  Joseph's  time. 
Being  again  summoned  to  the  diligencia,  my  thoughts  for 
some  time  dwelt  on  the  subject  of  religion. 

As  before  remarked,  my  attention  had  been  directed  to 
the  Haciendas  as  1  passed  them.  In  one  or  more  of  the 
deeper  valleys  of  Perote,  I  saw  that  the  improved  American 
ploughs  were  used  for  tillage ;  and  a  wealthy  Mexican,  a 
noble  benefactor  of  his  people,  had  at  one  time  made  a  large 
importation  of  these  ploughs,  designing  to  introduce  them 
generally  among  the  farmers  of  his  country.  But  one  of 
the  glorious  revolutions  of  Mexico  was  coeval  with  the  be- 
nificence  of  the  good  citizen,  and  his  ploughs  shared  a  scat- 
tered and  ruinous  fate,  in  the  midst  of  resounding  arms  and 
the  havocs  of  war.  Thus  the  people  lost  in  their  destruc- 
tion a  more  beneficial  revolution  in  their  agricultural  sys- 
tem, than  ever  the  sword  has  wrought  for  them  in  obtaining 
their  independence,  or  in  raising  men  to  high  stations.  The 
plough  universally  in  use  in  Mexico,  is  the  instrument  hand- 
ed by  the  Romans  to  their  posterity.  The  old  Spaniards, 
and  their  descendants,  prejudiced  the  minds  of  these  people 
against  the  successful  operation  of  that  spirit  called  im- 
provement ;  and  in  this  respect  the  Yankee  nation,  by  a 
liberal  mindedness  in  "  trying  all  things,  and  holding  fast 
to  that  which  is  good,"  have  advanced  about  two  thousand 
years  ahead  of  their  neighbours,  not  only  in  agriculture,  but 
in  all  the  arts  and  sciences  practised  in  the  civilized  world. 


70 


T  R  A  \'  E  L  S   I  .\   MEXICO. 


On  the  plain  of  Pueblo  are  said  to  be  several  hot  springs, 
one  of  which  I  passed.  It  suddenly  gushed  from  under 
the  earth  by  the  side  of  the  road,  in  a  bold  stream,  about 
three  or  four  feet  wide — and,  as  it  rapidly  glided  away,  I 
could  but  be  reminded,  in  observing  the  vapour  which  as- 
cended from  it,  of  the  many  beneficial  results  of  steam 
power.  However,  the  Mexicans  were  not  suffering  the 
blessings  of  hot  water  to  pass  off  unappreciated,  and  ap- 
plied to  some  purpose,  for  I  perceived  a  party  of  them  near 
the  fountain-head  of  the  spring,  making  a  pond  for  their 
horses  to  bathe  in. 

During  the  day's  ride  I  arrived  in  view  of  what  is  said  to 
be  two  perpetually  snow-capped  peaks,  beside  that  of  die  Ori- 
zava, between  which  my  journey  would  lay,  on  my  road  to  the 
city  of  Mexico.  The  Popocatepetl,  being  interpreted  from 
the  Indian,  means  "  the  hill  that  smokes."  It  is  estimated  to 
be  two  thousand  feet  higher  than  Mont  Blanc,  in  Europe. 
Its  top  is  of  conick  form,  and  notwithstanding  its  immense 
height,  from  an  inclination  of  its  head  towards  the  north,  I 
could,  as  I  passed,  plainly  perceive  the  funnelled  cavity  that 
opened  from  its  summit.  To  my  view  this  mountain  was 
less  mantled  with  that  pure  clement  snow  than  the  Orizava. 

From  its  appellation,  the  presumption  would  be,  that 
smoke  would  be  perpetually  seen  issuing  from  this  volcano; 
but  no  emissions  of  flaring  sparks,  ashes,  or  smoke  was  be- 
held by  me ;  all  was  still  and  tranquil ;  yet  the  evidences  of 
its  terrible  combustion  in  former  times,  were  discoverable 
from  about  one-half  of  its  hcicrht  being  covered  with  lava, 
presenting  a  vast  pile  of  dark  matter,  without  having  in  a 
single  instance  a  particle  of  vegetation  to  relieve  the  eye; 
still  I  was  informed  that  a  distant  and  dead  sound  was  heard 
by  those  who  approached  the  mountain.  Mr.  Prescott,  in 
speaking  of  this  volcanic  mountain,  beautifully  remarks — 
"  Soaring  towards  the  skies,  with  its  silver  sheet  of  ever- 
lasting snow,  it  was  seen  far  and  wide  over  the  broad  plains 
of  Mexico  and  Pueblo — the  first  object  which  the  morning's 


T  R  AV  E  L  S   I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O  .  71 

sun  greeted  in  his  rising — the  last  Avhcrc  his  evening  rays 
were  seen  to  Unger,  shedding  a  glorious  effulgence  over  its 
head,  that  contrasted  strikingly  with  the  ruinous  waste  of 
sand  and  lava  immediately  below,  and  the  deep  fringe  of 
funeral  pines  that  surrounded  its  base." 

Under  the  heat  of  a  tropical  sun,  and  the  appearances 
which  all  creation  in  Mexico  presents,  of  devouring  fire, 
evidently  show  that  the  time  has  been  when  Nature,  in  her 
strong  convulsions,  has  exhibited  the  resplendent  scene  of  a 
world  on  fire,  and  when  the  funeral  pile  in  struggling  throes 
was  being  extinguished,  man,  in  the  blindness  of  his  reason 
and  superstition,  snatched  a  torch,  and,  in  feeble  imitation, 
attempted  to  perpetuate  the  eternal  embers  by  planting  it  on 
the  top  of  the  high  pyramid  of  Cholula,  erected  on  the  plain 
of  Pueblo,  in  commemoration  of  an  imaginary  visit  made 
to  that  country  by  their  god  Quetzalcoatl. 

Diego  Ordaz,  at  the  head  of  nine  Spaniards,  is  said  to 
have  the  glory  of  being  the  first  person  who  ever  attempted 
to  ascend  the  Popocatepetl.  Its  summit,  however,  since  the 
days  of  the  renowned  Diego  Ordaz,  has  been  gained  by 
others,  and  I  was  told  of  one  individual  who  did  not,  for  two 
years,  recover  from  the  sufferings  he  had  to  encounter  in 
the  enterprise  :  for,  besides  bleeding  at  the  ears,  and  eyes, 
and  nose,  his  lungs  suffered  much  from  the  difficulty  he  ex- 
perienced of  respiration,  which,  for  the  space  of  time  above 
mentioned,  produced  an  oppression  in  the  breast. 

While  my  meditations  were  occupied  in  beholding  the 
stupendous  spectacle  of  the  Popocatepetl,  I  had  to  turn  my 
eyes  in  another  direction,  to  look  upon  the  Iztaccihuatl, 
which  the  Indians  caljed  the  "  White  Woman."  This  moun- 
tain, clad  in  its  white  garment,  and  made  brilliant  and  span- 
gled by  large  flakes  of  ice,  bleached  by  the  cold  blasts  of 
centuries,  was  also  denominated  by  the  aborigines,  the  wife 
of  its  taller  and  more  fiery  neighbour.  The  elevation  of 
Iztaccihuatl  I  have  never  seen  noticed,  nor  could  I  ascertain 
from  my  inquiries  that  it  had  ever  been  taken. 


72  TRAVELS   I\  MEXICO. 

The  diligencia  arrived,  on  the  evening  of  the  26th  inst., 
at  the  city  (though  contrarv  to  tiie  meaning  of  the  name)  of 
Pueblo.  This  place  has  also  the  distinguished  appellation  of 
Puehla  de  los  Anglos,  "  the  town  of  the  angels,"  acquiring 
this  heavenly  cognomen  from  the  belief  of  the  natives, 
which  no  doubt  w^as  the  working  of  an  ingenious  and  wily 
priestcraft,  to  wit,  the  angels  of  heaven  condescended  to 
quit  the  throne  of  God,  and  descended  to  the  town  of  Pueb- 
la,  there  to  work  in  vile  stone  and  mortar,  in  the  erection  of 
the  truly  large  and  costly  cathedral  of  that  place.  It  is  cer- 
tainly a  great  misfortune,  resulting  in  the  over-anxiousness 
or  weak-mindedness  of  the  clergy  of  any  country,  to  thus 
impose  upon  the  superstitious  credulity  of  an  ignorant  peo- 
ple. As  for  myself,  I  had  just  as  soon  believe  in  the  fabled 
legends  of  the  Aztecs'  sanguinary  war  god,  as  in  the  absur- 
dities believed  by  the  Mexicans  of  the  town  of  the  angels. 
I  say  that  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  a  religion,  originally  pure, 
should  have  been  so  wickedly  and  falsely  perverted  by  those 
professing  to  be  the  heralds  of  Christ,  as  to  impose  on  a 
willing  people.  The  impossibilities  of  truth,  are  but  in  the 
disgust  of  the  minds  of  the  intelhgent,  to  throw  doubt  and 
disbelief  upon  the  whole  fabricated  institution,  which  results 
in  atheism,  or  else,  in  after  times,  in  the  progress  of  man's 
enlightenment,  to  raise  up  enemies  to  the  church,  who  will 
uproot  and  overthrow  the  whole  system,  and  on  its  ruined 
foundation  erect  a  plan  of  pristine  purcness,  upon  the  truth 
as  it  is.  I  do  not  think  it  my  duty  slurringly  to  garble  the 
truth,  but  to  sf)eak  it  entire,  in  whatever  I  may  have  been  im- 
firesscd,  of  men  and  things,  religion  and  politics. 

I  arrived  in  Pueblo  in  time  to  mak^  a  hasty  visit  to  the 
Cathedral  de  los  Anglos.  It  is  erected  of  dressed  stone,  and 
its  dimensions  are  large.  Its  interior  is  approached  by  a 
short  flight  of  steps,  covering  the  whole  extent  of  the  base- 
ment of  the  building,  which  gives  to  the  whole  an  admira- 
ble proportion  of  height,  for  its  length  and  breadth.  As  the 
visiter  enters,  he  is  overwhelmed  bv  the  number  of  saints 


TRAVELSINMEXICO.  '73 

and  angels  that  strike  his  view.  Before  the  altar  rise  two 
columns  to  the  ceiling,  said  to  be  of  solid  silver ;  but  as  the 
dusk  of  evening  had  set  in,  I  was  prevented  from  making  a 
more  enlarged  examination,  for  the  doors  were  to  be  fasten- 
ed, to  the  exclusion  of  spectators  and  worshippers. 

Pueblo  de  los  Anglos  is  said  to  contain  above  one  hundred 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  diligencia  took  its  departure 
from  that  celebrated  town  between  two  and  three  o'clock, 
the  following;  mornincr. 

Having  stopped  at  daybreak  at  a  small  town,  or  Pueblo, 
for  a  change  of  animals,  myself  and  fellow  travellers  ran 
into  a  Meson,  or  Mexican  tavern,  where  we  obtained  a  cup 
of  chocolate,  which  had  been  boiled  and  frothed  by  the 
hands  of  a  beautiful  Mexican  girl;  which  being  consumed. 
Brother  Jonathan,  (for  such  was  the  appellation  given  to  the 
Pennsylvania  stage  driver,  by  all  foreigners  who  travelled 
the  road,)  was  to  take  us  that  day  to  the  end  of  our  journey. 
We  had  not  proceeded  far  before  we  came  in  broad  view  of 
the  dead  man  and  his  wife's  mountain,  on  our  right  hand, 
which  exhibited  the  most  singular  phenomena  of  two  hu- 
man beings,  in  perfect  profile  likeness,  on  its  summit,  in  ex- 
tended postures,  reminding  me  of  my  boyish  days,  when, 
with  my  compeers,  we  would  leave  our  compressed  figures 
upon  banks  of  snow. 

In  passing  the  ranges  of  the  Popocatepetl  and  the  Iztac- 
cihuatl,  I  was  pleased  to  see  that  the  mountain  was  covered 
with  a  grove  of  timber  of  good  size,  for  I  there  saw  oaks 
and  pines  of  the  same  dimensions  that  I  had  beheld  in 
old  Virginia ;  the  colder  regions  being  better  adapted 
to  the  growing  of  forest  trees  than  the  warmer  climates. 
And  it  should  ever  be  remembered  by  the  reader  that, 
whatever  else  the  traveller  may  behold,  he  is  nevertheless 
never  out  of  sight  of  the  crosses  of  melancholy  bearing, 
being  monuments  erected  over  the  bones  of  murdered  hu- 
man beings,  and  thus  consecrated. 

My  progress  over  this  mountain,  although  cold,  was  inter- 


74  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

esting,  from  the  many  crowds  of  Arrieros,  with  their  cargoes 
on  packed  mules,  a  large  party  of  whom  were  loaded  with 
the  specie  of  the  second  indemnity  from  the  Mexican  to 
the  United  States  government.  As  the  climax  of  the  moun- 
tain had  now  been  gained,  and  we  had  turned  on  the  des- 
cent, the  scene  was  also  changed,  for  the  far-famed  valley 
of  Mexico  w-as  then,  like  a  map,  spread  out  before  our 
view ;  and  indeed  it  was  a  lovely  and  magnificent  sight  to 
behold,  although  the  sublimity  of  the  scene  did  not  realize 
the  expectations  of  my  excited  imagination,  from  the  rap- 
turous descriptions  I  had  received  of  it  from  other  travel- 
lers. 

The  day  was  favourable — for  the  clear,  blue  vault  of  hea- 
ven was  without  a  dark  spot  to  dim  the  exceeding  and  pe- 
culiar serenity  of  the  skies  of  that  elevated  and  rarefied  re- 
gion, the  atmosphere  of  which  was  so  light  and  thin,  aided 
by  the  brilliant  gleaming  of  the  sun,  that  the  eye  could  over- 
come space,  and  comprehend  distant  objects,  with  a  beauty 
surprising  to  one  raised  in  a  more  dense  and  a  lower  cli- 
mate. Hence  it  is,  I  have  no  doubt,  that  that  plain  has  bor- 
rowed half  its  charms. 

Yet  to  the  minds  of  the  conquerors  to  whom  America 
was  a  new  world,  and  when  the  valley  of  Mexico  was  in  a 
state  of  nature,  not  as  now,  mainly  presenting  a  parched 
and  barren  waste,  but  under  the  dominion  and  care  of  the 
Aztecs,  the  forest  of  ages  towering  high  in  the  air,  and  cast- 
ing up  its  umbrageous  branches,  relieved  and  freshened  a 
scene  the  loveliness  of  which  perhaps  might  have  been  un- 
rivalled; for  nature,  like  the  beauty  of  a  woman,  is  more 
admirable  when  beheld  in  its  native  simplicity  ;  and  it  can 
easily  therefore  be  accounted  for,  why  the  early  Spaniards 
looked  upon  the  valley  of  Tenochtitlan,  so  called  by  the  In- 
dians, as  the  promised  land — the  Elysium  upon  earth. 

I  here  quote  the  scientific  outlines  of  the  geography 
of  the  Mexican  Valley,  by  Mr.  Prescott,  as  they  could  not 
have  come  under  the  immediate  knowledge  of  a  traveller. 


TRAVELS    IN  MEXICO.  "75 

"  Midway  across  the  continent,  somewhat  nearer  the  Pacific 
than  the  Atlantic  ocean,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  feet,  is  the  celebrated  valley  of  Mex- 
ico. It  is  of  an  oval  form,  about  sixty-seven  leagues  in  cir- 
cumference, and  is  encompassed  by  a  towering  rampart  of 
porphyritic  rocks,  which  nature  seems  to  have  provided, 
though  ineffectually,  to  protect  it  from  invasion."  He  also 
remarks  that  "five  lakes  are  spread  over  the  valley,  occu- 
pying one-tenth  of  its  surface."  Thus,  as  it  were,  at  one 
view,  bursts  upon  the  astonished  traveller,  village,  city,  lakes, 
plains,  and  mountains,  together  with  a  view  of  the  culture, 
and  the  different  kinds  of  crops,  as  husbanded  by  the  Mexi- 
cans, to  interest  the  beholder,  as  he  journeys  along. 

I  could  only  admire  the  extensive  fields  spread  out  before 
me,  for  the  valley»of  Mexico  is  justly  renowned  for  its  fer- 
tility ;  all  the  lands  are  said  to  be  capable  of  cultiva- 
tion by  irrigation,  from  the  abundance  of  water  afforded 
from  streams  and  lakes.  Thus,  whilst  I  mi^ht,  upon  the 
right  hand,  be  pained  to  see  the  sterileness  of  a  tract  of 
country,  made  so,  perhaps,  by  the  neglect  of  its  opulent 
owner,  and  appropriated  as  a  common  for  grazing ;  on  the 
left  I  would  be  greeted  by  the  pleasing  prospect  of  miles  in 
extent,  and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  of  lands  cultivated 
alone  in  maize,  or  Indian  corn.  And  while  now  I  would 
arrive  at  verdant  nooks,  with  acres  of  land  cultivated  in 
chili,  or  Indian  pepper,  of  which  the  inhabitants  make  con- 
siderable use — and  I  was  informed  that  a  single  individual, 
from  one  crop  of  chili  alone,  realized  the  immense  sum  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars — and  then  I  would  come  upon  the 
green  and  flowery  fields,  cultivated  to  feed  the  cochineal 
insect.  But  what  the  more  attracted  my  attention  was  the 
deep  green,  wide-spreading  aloe,  called  by  the  Mexicans 
Maguey.  This  plant  has,  in  its  perfection,  a  stem  shooting 
up  to  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  height,  with  an  appearance  of 
clustered  flowers  at  its  top  when  ripe — the  stem,  or  stalk  of 
a  liquid  pithy  substance,  is  consumed  in  a  raw  state  by  the 


■yg  TRAVELSINMEXICO. 

natives.  But  such  being  the  variety  of  the  uses  to  which 
this  spontaneous  plant  is  appropriated  by  the  Mexicans,  I 
shall  speak  of  its  multifarious  properties  and  consumption, 
when  my  longer  travels  and  residence  in  the  country  will 
better  enable  me  to  describe  them. 

The  view  of  the  valley  of  Mexico  is  certainly  beautiful 
and  grand,  and  but  for  the  painful  absence  of  timber,  and 
the  vast  sterility  of  much  of  its  territory,  might,  perhaps,  be 
the  most  magnificent  sight  any  where  to  behold  upon  the  face 
of  the  globe.  There  is  no  country  in  the  world,  from  the 
best  information  I  could  obtain,  where  individual  citizens 
hold  as  large  bodies  of  land  as  in  Mexico,  and  it  is  estima- 
ted that,  from  seven  millions  of  inhabitants,  in  all  probabili- 
ty, less  than  five  hundred  thousand  are  the  owners  of  all 
the  terra  firma  of  that  rich  country. 

As  I  progressed,  I  was  soon  brought  in  bold  view,  by  my 
close  contact,  with  the  lake  region.  One  of  these  lakes  near 
the  city  of  Mexico,  I  was  informed,  was  thirty  miles  in 
length,  nnd  looked  to  be  the  bay  or  port  of  the  great  city. 
Although  the  lake  is  said  to  be  of  that  considerable  extent, 
yet,  as  my  eyes,  in  that  atmosphere,  were  cast  over  its 
transparent  blue  waters,  and  the  dark  reflections  of  the 
mountains  were  thrown  upon  it,  the  space  did  not  seem  to 
me  to  be  one-half,  or  more  than  one-third  the  distance.  This 
lake  by  name  is  Tczcuco — has  an  abundance  of  fish,  and 
during  the  most  of  the  year  is  inhabited  by  large  flocks  of 
water-fowls — and  it  was  on  that  lake  that  Mr.  Wilcox, 
the  American  consul,  was  in  the  habit  of  amusing  himself 
by  firing  small  shot  from  a  cannon  upon  the  ducks. 

There  is  on  the  border  of  the  lake,  Agua  calienta,  or  hot 
springs,  the  waters  of  which  are  used  for  bathing  purposes. 
During  the  nine  months  of  the  dry  season,  when  the  lakes 
recede  from  their  high  water  marks,  all  the  shores  that  have 
been  covered  by  water,  as  was  the  case  when  seen  by  me, 
had  a  thick  incrustation,  or  deposit  of  carbonate  of  soda, 
which  is  scraped  up  by  the  Indians,  and  sold  by  them  for 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


77 


the  purpose  of  making  soap — as  tlie  inhabitants  are  com- 
pelled to  use  that  article ;  for  not  a  sufficiency  of  wood  is 
burned  in  Mexico  to  produce  a  suppiy  of  ashes  for  the  ma- 
nufacture of  soap. 

All  of  the  water,  as  likewise  the  soil  of  Mexico,  is  strong 
ly  impregnated  with  carbonate  of  soda,  as  I  had  continual 
opportunities  of  witnessing.  The  lake  water  exhibited  the 
phenomenon  in  a  more  perceptible  manner  than  the  flowing 
streams,  and  some  of  them  were  stronger  than  others,  by 
the  difference  of  the  quantity  of  their  deposits.  I  once  rode 
on  the  margin  of  a  small  lake,  where  the  hoofs  of  my  ani- 
mal as  it  passed  over  the  deposit  of  carbonate  of  soda,  made 
sounds  resembling  that  of  snow  when  trod  upon.  It  might 
be  inquired — from  whence  does  the  water  of  the  lakes  ob- 
tain the  mineral  1  for  but  few  of  them  have  streams  from 
the  mountains  running  into  them,  being  but  stagnant  pools 
of  rain  water.  The  reply  is  obvious — the  water  extracts  its 
soda  constituent  from  the  earth,  wdiich  seems  to  have  an  in- 
exhaustible amount  of  that  nTost  ostensible  component  of  its 
parts.  This  one  thing,  however,  I  was  unwiUingly  made 
satisfied  of — the  water  of  Mexico  has  an  active  medical  ef- 
fect, as  all  foreigners  who  go  to  that  country  can  testify, 
from  the  fact  of  its  deleterious  effects  having  carried  many 
to  the  tomb,  by  conferring  a  chronic  diarrhcea  on  those  who 
partake  freely  of  its  use.  The  water  of  the  city  of  Mexico 
is  said  to  be  more  pernicious  to  the  health  of  a  stranger 
than  any  other  in  all  the  Republic.  The  entire  use  of  rain 
water,  I  was  informed,  proved  always  to  be  a  specific  rem- 
edy for  the  afflicted. 

But  what,  as  much  as  any  thing  else,  attracted  my  atten- 
tion, was  a  mound  which  had  been  thrown  up  by  a  volcanic 
eruption,  immediately  on  the  margin  of  the  lake.  This 
mound  of  lava  seemed  to  me  to  have  been  about  two  hun- 
dred feet  in  diameter  at  its  base,  and  one  hundred  in  height. 
Its  form  was  precisely  like  that  of  a  funnel,  with  its  greater 
diameter  resting  on  the  surface,  while  at  the  same  time  there 


-jg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

\vas  a  flue  or  vent  through  which  the  volcanic  fire  exhaust- 
ed itself. 

As  the  diligencia  entered  on  the  great  causeway  which 
separates  lake  Chalco  from  Xochicalo,  a  passenger,  familiar 
with  the  country  and  its  history,  informed  me  that  this 
bridge  was  not  only  made  by  the  Aztecs,  but  was  the  same 
identical  track  which  Cortes  and  his  followers  passed  on  the 
8th  November,  1519,  the  day  on  whicli  they  first  set  foot  in 
the  city  of  Mexico. 

As  I  advanced  over  the  diversified  and  beautifully  pictu- 
resque environs  of  the  Capital,  I  could  behold  before  me  a 
large  and  compact  city,  which  had  for  its  first  and  most 
striking  features,  white  walls  and  lofty  steeples ;  and,  I  dare 
say,  for  the  number,  the  magnitude  and  height,  the  religious 
buildings  of  the  present  day  are  not  unlike  what  they  were 
in  the  day  when  the  conqueror  first  beheld  them,  the  tower- 
ing temples  of  the  gods  of  Anahuac.  Thus,  on  the  evening 
of  the  26th  of  November,  unharmed  by  ladrones,  or  any 
other  casualty,  in  a  fatigued  condition,  and  covered  with 
dust,  I  arrived  in  the  city  of  Mexico — too  late,  however,  to 
behold  any  of  the  beauties  of  the  place  I  had  entered. 

My  first  care,  after  the  custom-house  officers  had  exami- 
ned my  baggage — for  in  Mexico  there  are  revenue  officers 
in  every  town  in  the  interior — was  to  take  up  my  lodgings 
in  the  Gran  Sociadad,  a  French  Hotel,  in  Holy  Ghost  street. 


(^/- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER  V. 

TIic  Overthrow  of  Cortes.  City  of  Mexico.  Receding  of  the  Lake.  View  of  Holy  Ghost 
street.  A  large  Church.  A  Mexican  Lady.  Gen.  Thompson's  residence.  An  ele);ant 
part  of  tlie  town.  The  streets  of  Mexico.  Earthquakes.  Style  of  Areliilectiire.  The 
city  of  Mexico.  The  proportion  of  a  Spanish  house.  Tlie  jiopulation  of  the  city  of  Mex- 
ico. Gen.  Thompson's  hospitality.  Haron  La  Kook.  The  I'la/.a.  The  I'alace.  The 
Cathedral.  Remarkahle  Carriae;ea.  Basalt  Stone.  Interior  of  the  Cathedral.  Mister 
Officer  an  American  artist.  Virgin  of  Remedios.  Tomb  of  Iturbide.  Rarefied  air 
The  Convent  of  San  Francisco.  The  Government  Palace,  Mint,  &c.  A  general  officer 
at  the  reception  door.  Capt.  Cortes,  of  the  Grenadiers.  National  Monument.  Iturbide's 
Palace.  Santa  Anna  Theatre.  Numerous  Beggars.  Journeymen  Beggars.  Feats  of 
strength.     Uresii  of  the  La/.arinos. 

After  the  overthrow  of  Cortes,  upon  that  memorable  oc- 
casion of  the  7iochc  triste,  the  melancholy  night  when  it  is 
said  that  he  lost  more  than  four  hundred  of  his  followers, 
and  all  of  his  artillery,  which  was  overturned  from  the 
causeways  into  the  lakes  and  dykes — and  having  made  his 
retreat  from  the  city,  but  to  rally  and  reinforce  his  army, 
which  being  done,  he  speedily  returned,  to  complete  a  con- 
quest which  had  hardly  commenced,  and  having  with  a  force 
much  more  numerous  and  better  provided,  retraced  his  steps 
to  Tacaba,  he  made  that  place  his  head-quarters.  The 
future  and  renowned  Conqueror  having  ascended  a  high 
temple  of  Tacaba,  was  observed  resting  his  cheek  upon 
his  elbow,  in  a  most  pensive  and  melancholy  mood,  and 
while  thus  absorbed  in  the  deep  meditations  of  the  moment, 
during  which  a  tear  had  trickled  down  his  cheek,  an  officer 
who  had  observed  him,  ventured  in  his  sympathy  to  touch 
the  shoulder  of  his  general,  and  in  cheering  tones  bade 
his  commander  to  hope  for  victory  and  for  conquest. 

The  mind  of  Cortes  at  the  time,  like  that  of  his  ]\[aster 
when  overlooking  Jerusalem,  whose  standard  of  the  Cross 
he  chiefly  delighted  to  plant  in  the  pathway  of  his  victo- 
ries, was  filled  with  love  and  admiration  for  the  city  of  Mex- 
ico, which  caused  him  to  exclaim  that  "  it  was  the  most 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


80 

beautiful  thing  on  earth,"  and  in  the  deep  sorrow  of  his  heart 
lie  lamented  that  soon,  by  his  hand,  the  place  that  teemed 
with  countless  multitudes  of  inhabitants,  must  perish  by  fa- 
mine and  the  sword  ;  and  that  the  towers,  the  temples,  and 
the  palaces,  that  glittered  so  resplendently  in  the  sun,  must 
soon  be  demolished,  and  buried  beneath  the  floods  of  the  ca- 
nals and  lakes — for  they  would  not  give  up  their  idols,  and 
peaceably  surrender  to  the  standard  of  Castile.  And  thus, 
like  the  Son  of  Jehovah,  he  would  have  exclaimed,  "  Oh  Je- 
rusalem !  Jerusalem,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thee 
as  the  hen  doth  her  brood,  under  her  wings,  but  ye  would 
not."  To  the  mind  of  Cortes,  with,  as  it  were,  the  most 
beautiful  fancy  sketch  of  nature's  fjencil  thrown  wide  to  his 
view,  with  a  fair  city  in  the  midst,  it  might  have  at  that  day 
seemed  to  be  the  most  lovely  sight  on  earth ;  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  city  of  Mexico,  as  it  then  appeared,  was  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  exhibit  to  the  view  and  fancies  of  hu- 
man beings,  more  loveliness,  and  charms  of  art  and  nature 
blended,  than  the  boasted  appearance  of  the  city  as  it  now 
is — for  the  simple  reason  that  in  the  Aztic  city  there  was 
variety — while  to  the  contrary,  the  Spanish  cannot  be  pos- 
sessed of  any. 

The  four  great  causeways  of  the  Aztics,  that  stretched 
through  the  lakes,  like  so  many  bridges  over  seas,  and  in- 
tersecting the  centre  of  the  city ;  the  many  high  temples, 
and  lofty  white  towers ;  the  imperial  and  the  nobles'  pa- 
laces, covering  acres  of  land ;  the  floating  gardens ;  the 
groves;  the  canals,  filled  with  light  canoes,  rapidly  passing 
and  repassing ;  while  the  grand  whole  was  crowded  with 
minor  and  inferior  buildings  ; — nothing  of  all  which  are  to 
be  seen  now — but  upon  the  demolished  ruins  and  faUen  rub- 
bish of  departed  magnificence,  has  been  erected  the  mo- 
dern, although  the  oldest  city  on  the  American  continent, 
by  Spanish  architects  and  Spanish  conquerors. 

The  city  is  of  square  form,  and,  although  not  upon  an  ele- 
vation, is  yet  built  upon  a  level  dry  plain,  which  has  result- 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  g. 

ed,  first,  from  the  fact,  that  the  old  city  was  used  mamly  in 
fiiUng  up  the  canals;  and,  lastly,  that  the  great  lake  of  Tez- 
caco  has  receded  between  one  and  two  miles  from  the 
walls  of  the  city,  which  cause  is  attributed  to  the  more  ra- 
pid evaporation  of  the  water  from  the  lakes,  since  the  plain 
of  Mexico  has  been  totally  divested  of  its  forests,  so  that  it 
might  the  more  resemble  the  plains  of  Castile,  and  remind 
the  Spaniard  of  his  European  home.  The  streets  of  Mexico 
run  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  intersecting  one  ano- 
ther, so  that  the  squares  are  of  an  exactness,  and  equally  of 
the  same  dimensions. 

On  the  following  morning,  after  my  arrival  in  the  city  of 
Mexico,  I  rose  from  my  bed  refreshed,  from  having  had  a 
good  night's  sleep,  notwithstanding  the  eternal  ringing  of 
bells;  and  no  one  can  believe  that  the  music  of  those 
ding-dong  instruments  was  the  lullaby  that  soothed  me  into 
the  arms  of  Somnus ;  but  my  confinement  and  fatigue  in 
the  diligencia,  the  last  four  days  and  nights,  had  welcomed 
the  blessings  of  sleep  to  my  heavy  eyelids.  Having  thus 
enjoyed  one  continued  and  uninterrupted  night's  repose,  I 
left  my  couch,  animated  with  the  prospect  of  beholding  the 
finest  city  in  the  world,  as  I  always  had  heard  the  city  of 
Mexico  to  be ;  and  so  glowingly  had  the  descriptions  of  the 
metropolis  been  given  by  others,  that  I  almost  hesitate  to 
give  mine  own  respecting  it ; — however,  I  shall  attempt,  in 
my  own  way,  to  give  some  detail  of  this  proud  and  famed 
place. 

So  impatient  had  I  become  of  seeing  what  was  to  be 
seen,  and  knowing  whatever  was  to  be  learned,  that  I  had 
not  more  than  finished  dressing  than  I  threw  open  my  win- 
dow and  thrust  out  my  head,  to  catch  an  astonishing  glimpse, 
or  else  I  should  not  have  had  an  appetite  for  breakfast ;  and, 
in  fact,  I  could  not,  at  the  moment,  but  be  reminded  of  the 
eagerness  of  animated  boyhood,  whose  anxiety  has  been 
roused  to  such  a  tip-toe  height,  when  about  to  visit  a  show, 
6 


82 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


that  he  cannot  prevent  himself  from  taking  a  peep  under 
the  canvass  before  entering  the  door-way. 

And  what  did  I  behold  ? — I  first  cast  my  eyes  through  a 
range  of  buildings,  far  to  the  south ;  and  the  street  seemed 
there  to  have  been  met  by  a  high  and  grand  barrier  of  a 
mountain,  the  beauty  of  which  was  heightened,  inconceiva- 
bly, by  the  distant  view  of  the  long  avenue  through  which 
it  was  seen.  As  the  golden  beams  of  the  morning  sun  were 
shed  over  it,  it  seemed  to  gleam  with  refulgence  in  its  airy 
elevation.  I  then  commenced  slowly  to  retrace  my  view  ; 
and,  as  my  eyes  wandered  from  side  to  side,  and  from  house 
to  house,  the  street  seemed  to  be  filled  with  a  motley  crowd 
of  gentlemen,  and  priests  muffled  in  their  cloaks  and  gowns ; 
ladies,  with  their  rebosees,  a  shawl  drawn  closely  over  their 
heads  and  faces,  and  crossed  on  their  breasts,  all  slowly  and 
solemnly  walking  along,  as  if  they  were  going  to  or  return- 
ing from  a  funeral ;  and  I  really  should  have  been  depressed 
by  serious  thoughts,  if  the  scene  had  not  been  interrupted, 
here  and  there,  by  little  mouse-coloured  donkeys,  loaded 
with  charcoal,  and  driven  by  Indians,  harshly  screaming 
aloud,  Caohona  !  Caohona ! — and  there  was  the  water-car- 
rier, loaded  down  with  the  weight  of  his  earthen  vessels, 
swung  from  his  head,  hanging  before  his  breast  and  on  his 
back ;  and,  dearly,  thought  I,  did  he  earn  his  living.  While 
the  greater  number  of  the  people,  the  paupers,  standing  in 
groups,  or  seated  on  the  way-side,  had  drawn  my  gaze,  my 
attention  was  suddenly  startled  by  the  clang  of  trumpets  and 
the  beating  of  drums,  sounding  a  retreat  from  some  out- 
post, where  they  had  been  doing  duty  all  the  previous  night, 
and  were  now  returning  to  head-quarters.  The  houses  were 
all  closely  built  together,  without  a  single  vacant  lot,  or  in- 
tervening space  between  them ; — all  presented  one  massive 
front  of  ponderous  construction,  of  about  three  stories  in 
height — never  higher — but  a  story  in  Mexico  is  twenty-five, 
or,  at  least,  twenty  feet,  but  never  less  than  fifteen. 

There  was,  on  a  moderate  calculation,  a  large,  high 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  go 

church,  whose  cupolas  were  well  and  numerously  supplied 
with  different  sized  noisy  bells,  for  about  every  other  square. 
The  roofs  of  the  houses  were  all  terraced,  which  contributed 
to  add  considerably  to  the  flat,  weighty  appearance  of  the 
whole  buildings  ;  and,  as  my  eyes,  like  the  fools,  spoken  of — 
somewhere — had  been  wandering  to  the  end  of  the  world 
to  the  south,  they  had  no  sooner  returned  home  than,  truant 
like,  they  forthwith  shot  to  the  north ;  and,  in  like  manner, 
as  to  the  south,  they  were  arrested  by  precisely  the  same 
panoramic  view  of  mountain,  churches,  houses,  donkeys 
and  people ;  and  in  so  perfect  an  exactness,  that  the  moun- 
tain seemed  but  to  have  been  the  mirror  by  which  the  whole 
was  reflected — and  my  faculty  of  seeing  soon  wandered 
back  to  me. 

But  I  should  not  neglect  to  remark  that,  just  before  my 
vision  returned  entirely  home,  obliquely  to  the  opposite  from 
my  window,  they  caught  the  glimpse  of  something  attrac- 
tive, which,  upon  a  steady  and  minute  inspection,  proved  to 
be,  certainly,  a  beautiful  Mexican  lady ;  her  dark  hair ;  her 
light  brunette  complexion ;  and,  above  all, — for  the  light  of 
heaven  seemed  to  gather  lustre  from  them — her  soft  and  in- 
expressibly melting  black  eyes  were  playing  havoc  with 
my  susceptible  heart;  and  I  do  not  know  that  the  window 
would  have  contained  me,  if  my  Catholic  friend  had  not 
warned  me  to  leave  it,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  was  passing  along 
the  street.  I  was  thus  reluctantly  compelled  to  close  the 
glass  door,  and  go  to  breakfast. 

My  breakfast  being  over,  my  first  care  was  to  find  Gen. 
Thompson's  residence,  and  deliver  to  him  my  despatch 
from  Judge  Upsher,  Secretary  of  State,  U.  S.,  and  my 
commission  for  the  usual  exequator  from  the  Mexican  go- 
vernment ;  that  having  been  soon  accomplished,  (for  the  re- 
sidence of  the  American  minister  was  near  at  hand,)  and, 
after  having  been  most  kindly  and  politely  received  by  Gen. 
Thompson,  by  whom  I  was  invited  to  dine,  I  resolved  to 
gratify  the  strong  impulse  of  my  feelings;  that  of  beholding 


g^  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

the  city  of  Mexico.  The  hotel  of  the  Gran  Sociadad  fronts 
on  Holy  Ghost  street ;  and  that  street  having  been  the  first 
which  I  had  seen,  and  on  which  I  had  made  my  dchd,  and 
feeling  desirous  of  viewing  one  of  the  more  beautiful  streets 
of  Mexico,  I  of  course  did  not  return  from  the  minis- 
ter's residence  to  the  high  cognomened  Holy  Ghost  street; 
not  supposing  that  that  street  could  have  exhibited  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  best  improvement  in  the  exalted  city  of  Mex- 
ico, I  therefore,  naturally  enough,  hastened  to  search  for  a 
more  elegant  part  of  the  town. 

The  broad  and  well  paved  streets  of  the  city  of  Mexico, 
being  perfectly  straight,  stretch  out  on  a  level  plane;  the 
only  relief  to  the  eye  of  the  looker  on  being  that,  it  matters 
not  in  whatever  street  you  may  happen  to  be,  turn  whatso- 
ever direction  you  may,  you  will,  through  the  long  per- 
spective, behold  the  mountains,  which  never  failed  to  at- 
tract my  attention  from  the  heavy  masonry  of  the  build- 
ings. There  are  no  scattered  houses  here,  but  the  entire 
squares  are  built  up  in  one  solid  block,  being,  as  it  were, 
but  one  vast  edifice,  and  having  no  back  grounds ;  for  every 
foot  of  earth  is  covered  with  stone  and  mortar ;  and,  as  the 
walls  are  all  united,  it  is  said  that  little  detriment  has  ever 
been  sustained  there  by  earthquakes,  which  are  always 
more  or  less  felt  in  the  spring  season,  saving  the  occasional 
cracking  of  walls,  and  the  falling  of  some  few  houses  on 
the  suburbs,  built  of  sun-dried  brick.  The  dimensions  of  the 
houses  of  the  city  of  Mexico  surpass  those  of  Vera  Cruz 
and  Puebla;  yet  the  architecture  is  the  same.  I  hardly 
know  what  to  denominate  the  style,  unless  it  should  be  the 
Arabic  or  Moorish,  mixed  with  Indian.  It  is  true,  that 
some  of  the  churches  seem  to  be  of  the  Gothic.  This  one 
thing,  however,  is  certain ; — I  cannot  remember  to  have 
seen,  in  any  other  city,  or  to  have  examined  in  books,  si- 
milar species  of  architecture.  I  have,  therefore,  been  forced 
to  conclude  that  it  is  a  style  unique. 

The  city  of  Mexico,  in  its  appearance,  is  more  compact, 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  g5 

and,  as  a  whole,  in  that  respect,  looks  better  than  any  other 
city  that  I  have  before  seen ;  yet  I  must  confess  that  I  felt 
disappointed,  from  all  that  I  had  before  heard,  in  not  be- 
holding a  more  magnificent  outside  show ;  for  the  coarsely 
stuccoed  walls  of  the  houses,  with  but  few  exceptions,  hav- 
ing windows  to  their  first  story,  looked  to  me  as  only  being 
clumsy  ramparts  for  the  garrisons  contained  behind  Ihem ; 
at  the  same  time,  the  door-ways,  in  the  centre,  from  twelve 
to  fifteen  feet  in  height,  swung  upon  ponderous  hinges,  hav- 
ing many  locks  of  curious  construction,  appeared  to  be  the 
huge  gates  of  a  fortress.  However,  the  Spaniard,  from  a 
spirit  of  distrust  and  jealousy,  has  never  delighted  in  mak- 
ing a  parade  of  all  his  valuables,  to  please  idle  spectators 
or  a  giddy  multitude.  You  mu^t  enter  within  the  sanctum 
sanctorum,  to  feast  your  eyes  on  his  silver,  his  gold,  his  jew- 
els, and  the  languishing  eyes  of  his  fair  ones ;  whilst,  at  the 
same  time,  his  ostentation  consists  in  being  wrapped  in  the 
ample  folds  of  his  broad  cloth  cloak,  which,  in  Mexico,  is 
the  receipt  for  a  gentleman ; — a  ride  in  his  coach  to  the  Pa- 
ceo,  or  the  splendid  show  of  the  costly  trappings  of  the  har- 
ness of  his  noble  steed.  It  is  within  the  gate  of  his  palace, 
that  you  have  an  opportunity  of  beholding  the  extravagance 
of  his  expenditures.  When  you  are  fairly  within  the  court 
of  his  castle,  and  you  have  cast  your  eyes  upwards,  you 
will  then  be  struck  with  the  view  of  the  lofty  columns  and 
broad-spanned  arches,  that  stretch  around  and  support  the 
corridors  encompassing  you  on  every  hand.  It  is  then  within 
you  perceive  he  considers  to  be  the  elegant  portion  of  his 
house;  and  it  is  there  that  he  lavishes  all  the  ingenuity  of 
his  nature,  in  gilded  gewgaws  to  please  his  fancy.  I  must 
say,  that  it  did  not  please  my  taste,  for  the  heavy  architec- 
ture of  the  corridors,  partaking  of  the  outside  appearance, 
oppressed  the  buoyancy  of  my  spirits,  if  I  could  be  said  to 
have  any,  while  the  carving  and  the  ornaments  that  I  saw 
there,  look  too  much,  to  me,  like  gaudy  chains  to  please  the 
maniac. 


gg  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

The  population  of  the  city  of  Mexico  is  estimated  by 
some,  to  be  two  hundred  thousand ;  but  it  is  impossible  to 
take  a  correct  census  (so  it  is  said)  of  the  city,  or  ev^en  of 
the  countr}',  on  account  of  the  considerable  number  of /o-a- 
rones  who  inhabit  the  streets  and  nooks  in  the  fields,  having 
no  homes.  They  do  their  cooking,  their  sleeping,  and,  in- 
deed, all  the  functions  of  animal  existence,  in  the  streets. 
After  I  had  become  overpowered  with  fatigue,  in  my  fruit- 
less hunting  for  the  most  interesting  parts  of  Mexico,  I  re- 
turned, at  the  hour  of  4  o'clock,  to  the  dwelling  of  General 
Thompson,  chagrined  at  not  having  found  a  city  which  had 
surpassed  all  others  before  seen,  or  a  street  more  attractive 
than  that  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

At  Gen.  Thompson's  I  rrfuch  enjoyed  myself  with  his  ele- 
gant hospitality.  There  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  intro- 
duced to  some  of  the  ministers  at  the  court  of  Mexico. 
Baron  Le  Roulk,  minister  plenipotentiary  from  Holland,  I 
found  to  be  a  most  interesting  and  pleasant  man.  He  made 
many  interrogations  of  me,  as  to  the  system  of  the  United 
States  government,  and  more  particularly  of  my  own  state  of 
A^irginia.  The  baron  often  expressed  his  satisfaction  with 
many  of  the  features  of  constitutional  points  which  I  cited  to 
him ;  but  would  as  often  exclaim,  "  Have  the  people  self- 
government  sufficient  to  carry  out  the  great  doctrines  ?"  for 
he  perceived  that,  with  much  difficulty,  and  by  many  revolu- 
tions, the  Mexicans,  professing  to  be  republicans,  were  liv- 
ing under  the  will  of  a  dictator.  In  reply,  I  endeavoured 
to  explain  the  difTerence  that  existed  between  the  two  peo- 
ple, and  finally  hoped  the  agreeable  baron  a  residence  at  the 
city  of  Washington,  as  minister  from  his  country,  where, 
from  the  proximity  of  the  metropolis  of  the  Union"  to  the 
capital  of  my  own  state,  he  would  then  have  an  opportunity 
of  verifying  all  that  I  had  related. 

It  was  not  until  after  dark  that  I  left  Gen.  Thompson,  and 
therefore  could  not,  until  the  following  morning,  make  fur- 
ther investigations.     My   inquisitive    curiosity  had  by  no 


TRA^^ELSINMEXICO.  qj 

means  abated,  for,  added  to  my  disappointment,  my  hope 
of  yet  being  gratified  in  beholding  something  consistent 
with  my  expectations,  urged  me  to  an  early  rising ;  and, 
having  first  taken  a  look  obliquely  to  the  left,  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  street,  and  then  my  breakfast,  I  sallied  forth 
to  behold,  and  not  caring  to  be  seen. 

My  direction  was  towards  the  Plaza,  which,  when  I  had 
arrived  there,  I  discovered  to  be  a  vacant  paved  square  of 
ground  of  about  four  acres.  The  government  palace,  the 
former  residence  of  the  viceroys,  fronts  this  square  on  the 
east ;  on  the  south  and  west  are  buildings  occupied  as  shops, 
having  corridors  extending  over  the  side  walks,  resting  on 
arches,  supported  by  pillars.  On  the  north  is  the  cathedral, 
with  its  grounds  covering  the  whole  front  of  that  side  of  the 
Plaza.  There  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  places  of  religious 
worship  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  not  exceeded,  in  capacious- 
ness and  richness,  by  any  other  city  in  the  world. 

The  cathedral  of  Mexico  is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  Ame- 
rica. This  vast  religious  building  has  had  a  larger  expendi- 
ture of  money  and  labour  than  any  other  house  in  the  city. 
Its  site  is  upon  a  portion  of  the  ground  formerly  occupied 
by  the  palace  of  Montezeuma,  and  the  towering  temple 
of  the  Aztics,  erected  for  the  worship  of  the  Mexican 
war-god,  which  rose  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  feet, 
and  called  the  temple  of  Coatepantl.  It  may  be  that  I 
am  deficient  in  taste,  as  regards  architectural  proportions, 
but  the  front  of  the  cathedral  I  could  not  altogether  ad- 
mire. It  was  without  a  basement  sufEcicnt  to  set  off,  in 
perfection,  so  stupendous  and  grand  a  building  ;  for  the  want 
of  this,  some  five  or  ten  feet  above  the  flat  surface,  much 
of  the  imposing  sublimity  of  the  cathedral  is  lost.  The 
proportions  of  the  cathedral  are  also  much  impaired  by  an 
extensive  addition  having  been  erected  on  the  east  side,  to 
about  one-half  the  height  of  the  building  ;  while  on  the  west, 
there  is  no  corresponding  wing,  which  makes  the  view  of 
the  front,  when  taken  as  a  whole,  appear  as  if  the  west  end 


gg  TRA\'ELSIN    MEXICO. 

had  been  destroyed,  or,  otherwise,  that  the  funds  of  the 
church  were  deficient  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the 
cathedral ;  and  that,  at  some  future  day,  it  w^as  designed  to 
supply  the  vacuum. 

The  cathedral  is,  beyond  doubt,  the  most  attractive  edi- 
fice in  Mexico.  The  workmanship  of  the  whole  front  is 
studied,  and  laborious,  and  I  must  confess  that  I  have  never 
witnessed  so  much  expenditure  in  attempting  a  display  of 
carvery  by  the  chisel,  the  most  singular  figures  that  I  ever 
beheld,  which  cover  the  whole  front  of  this  magnificent  edi- 
fice. The  remarkable  carvings  arc  not,  to  my  knowledge, 
historical  of  any  thing,  and  I  could  but  look  upon  them 
as  barbaric  hieroglyphics  put  on  to  please  the  Indians. 
The  pillars  that  ascend  up  against  the  wall,  for  the  support 
of  the  two  high  cupolas  of  the  cathedral  are,  in  shape  and 
resemblance,  that  of  the  harp,  with  a  lion's  foot  at  one  end, 
and  a  serpent's  head  at  the  other ;  the  name  of  the  order  I 
have  never  heard,  if  it  has  a  cognomen. 

The  statues  that  stand  in  the  niches  are  Saint  Paul,  Saint 
Peter,  Saint  James,  &c.  &c.,  not  one  of  which  are  of  mar- 
ble. When  we  take  into  consideration  the  material  of  which 
this  costly  structure  was  erected,  being  of  basalt,  which  is 
much  more  impervious  to  the  edge  of  the  chisel  than  Quin- 
cy  granite,  I  could  not  but  think  of  the  consumption  of  time 
and  toil  which  the  pride  of  the  followers  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  Jesus  inflicts  on  mankind,  to  show  them  on  earth  the 
gate  to  heaven.  On  the  west  end  of  the  cathedral,  about 
ten  feet  from  the  ground,  is  let  into  the  wall,  the  calendar- 
stone,  or  "  Montezeuma's  watch,"  as  denominated  at  the 
present  day,  and  which  has  excited  considerable  speculation 
amongst  antiquarians. 

The  interior  of  the  cathedral  of  the  city  of  Mexico  is 
extravagantly  splendid  in  all  its  apartments ;  the  dome  be- 
ing supported  by  two  immense  basaltic  columns  of  the  Ionic 
order.  The  railing  and  banisters  around  the  altar  and  gal- 
leries are  of  silver.     Many  of  the  candlesticks,  some  of 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO.  gg 

which  are  at  least  ten  feet  high,  if  not  of  rich  gilt,  are  ei- 
ther of  silver  or  gold.  It  is  said  that,  besides  many  other 
images  of  precious  metals,  it  contains  a  Virgin  Mary  of 
full  sized  statuary,  of  fine  gold.  It  has  also  a  railing  around 
the  high  altar,  the  metal  of  which  is  composed  of  brass,  sil- 
ver and  gold,  mixed ;  for  which,  it  is  said,  an  EngUsh  com- 
pany offered  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  to  replace  the  rail- 
ing in  full  weight  in  pure  silver. 

Mr. Officer,  a  young  American  artist,  informed  me 

that,  having  obtained  permission  to  ascend  the  high  altar, 
that  he  might  examine  a  tablet  of  Murillas,  of  Lazarus  at 
the  rich  man's  gate  ;  while  there,  a  priest  also  ascended, 
having  in  his  hand  the  Virgin  of  Remedius ;  and,  on  its  be- 
ing presented  to  him,  he  was  of  necessity  obliged  to  kneel 
down  and  kiss  it.  While  in  this  act,  he  not  only  discovered 
that  the  saint  was  without  a  nose,  but  the  padre  also ;  and, 
for  that  reason,  it  had  been  entrusted  to  his  care.  I  am 
willing  enough  to  believe  that  the  padre  will  never  have 
another  nose  to  stick  to  his  face ;  but  as  for  the  absurdities 
told  by  the  priests,  that  they  have  used  all  the  efficacious 
modes  of  applying  glue  and  nails  to  fasten  a  new  nose 
on  their  saint,  but  that  all  the  ingenuity  of  the  pious  and  the 
skill  of  the  mechanic  have  been  defied,  for  such  is  the  ob- 
stinacy of  the  saint,  that  she  would  not  have  a  new  nose ! 
As  Mr.  O.  further  stated,  the  dressing  of  the  Virgin  was 
covered  with  diamonds,  it  is  said  to  be  the  most  wealthy 
saint  in  Mexico,  with  the  exception  of  one. 

This  cathedral  is  also  the  tomb  of  Iturbide,  whose  re- 
mains are  deposited  in  a  box,  and  positioned  against  the 
walls  of  the  cathedral,  having  on  it  the  inscription,  "  Sacred 
to  the  memory  of  Iturbide."  The  sweet  tones  of  all  the 
bells  of  the  churches  are  said  to  be  owing  to  the  silver  in  their 
composition :  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  heard  so  musically 
sonorous  a  bell  as  that  in  the  great  tower  of  the  Cathedral ; 
yet  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  this  clearness  of  sound 
is  attributable  to  the  rarified  air  in  which  they  are  suspend- 


90  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

ed,  than  to  any  silver  they  contaui.  One  thing  I  know, 
however,  that  it  was  vexatious  to  be  always  obliged  to  be 
listening  to  the  practising  of  them. 

The  convents  of  Saint  Augustine  and  San  Francisco,  are 
the  largest  buildings  that  I  have  ever  looked  on,  and  they 
seemed  to  me,  with  their  domes  and  many  cupolas,  to  be 
cities  in  themselves.  At  the  convent  of  San  Francisco,  I 
once  attended  divine  worship,  and  heard  a  sermon  preached 
in  the  English  language,  by  an  Irish  priest.  His  services 
were  for  the  benefit  of  foreigners  who  spoke  English,  and 
was  listened  to  by  about  one  hundred  persons.  I  was  in- 
formed, previous  to  my  arrival  in  Mexico,  that  many  of  the 
houses  had  sunk  some  feet,  resulting  from  the  fact,  that  the 
city  was  built  on  marshy  lake  land;  and  I  observed,  that  in 
consequence  of  the  sinking  of  the  convent  of  San  Francisco, 
the  side-walks  on  the  western  side  had  to  be  raised  two  feet 
to  make  it  even  with  the  pavement  of  the  street. 

The  Government  Palace  is  an  extensive  building,  cover- 
ing a  whole  square.  Within  its  walls  are  appropriate  apart- 
ments for  a  mint,  a  garrison  for  several  regiments  of  sol- 
diers, chambers  for  the  Deputies  of  Mexico,  and  ofRces  for 
the  cabinet,  besides  having  a  large  portion  of  the  building 
apportioned  for  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  country.  The 
front  of  the  palace,  I  was  informed,  measured  about  three 
hundred  feet.  It  has  a  heavy  prison-like  aspect,  being  (as 
is  almost  invariably  the  case)  stuccoed  and  whitewashed  on 
the  outside.  It  has  no  windows  to  the  outer  walls  of  the 
lower  story ;  but  to  the  upper  one  there  is  a  regular  row  of 
windows  with  sashes  and  panes  of  glass,  as  are  customary 
in  the  United  States ;  which  by  no  means  is  a  general  thing 
in  Mexico,  for  the  climate  does  not  require  it ;  and  likewise 
persons  could  not  be  found  who  would  trust  themselves  to 
such  flimsy  protection;  and  the  stranger  will  find  that,  un- 
less the  house  is  inhabited  by  Europeans  or  Americans,  the 
windows  will  only  have  the  strong  shutters.  A  large  fold- 
ing door  or  gateway  opens  in  the  front  of  the  palace,  just 


TRAVELS   IN   M  EX  ICO.  gj 

in  its  centre.  But  tlicrc  is  an  ornament,  not  on  the  outer 
wall  of  the  building,  but  affixed  to  the  gable  end  of  the  cen- 
tre of  the  eastern  side,  which  I  should  not  neglect  to  men- 
tion ;  it  is  a  golden  or  gilded  sun,  believed  by  some  to  be  of 
pure  gold. 

A  General  stands  at  the  door  of  the  reception  hall,  offici- 
ating as  porter ;  at  the  White  House  at  Washington  City  an 
untitled  Irishman  and  a  coloured  man,  perform  those  menial 
offices.  When  the  reception  hall  is  entered,  the  visitor  be- 
holds at  one  end  of  the  room,  a  throne  canopied  with  crim- 
son, w  here  the  Dictator  sits  in  state  over  the  destinies  of  the 
Mexican  Republic.  I  had  understood,  previous  to  my  visit 
to  Mexico,  that  in  the  construction  of  the  palace  some  mar- 
ble of  uncommon  workmanship  had  been  imported  from 
Italy,  for  its  adornment ;  but  Captain  Cortes  of  the  Grena- 
diers, who  politely  offered  his  services  to  conduct  me 
through  the  palace,  assured  me  that  there  was  not  a  foot  of 
marble  in  the  whole  edifice. 

In  the  centre  of  the  large  Plaza,  in  the  front  of  the  palace, 
the  government  was  erecting  a  monument  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  national  independence  of  Mexico,  which  was  to 
be  surmounted  by  the  Goddess  of  Liberty.  The  Plaza  is 
much  resorted  to  by  the  people  of  the  city,  and  was  found 
to  be  very  convenient  by  the  combatants  during  the  last 
revolution.  Besides  the  cathedral  and  the  churches  gene- 
rally, excepted,  I  found  but  two  houses  in  the  city,  that 
impressed  my  view,  as  being  different  in  some  of  their 
features  from  the  general  sameness  that  universally  at- 
tended all  others.  The  first  was  the  ill-fated  Iturbide 
palace,  which  still  bears  his  name,  having  more  of  the  ele- 
gancy of  the  Spanish  style  than  any  other  that  I  had  seen, 
and  not  having  been  stuccoed,  the  out  wall  was  built  of 
dressed  stone,  and  but  that  the  inelegant  and  unmeaning 
hieroglyphics  were  cut  upon  the  stone,  the  palace  would 
bear  inspection  in  any  city.  The  other  alluded  to,  is  that 
in  which  the  office  of  the  administration  of  coaches  is  kept. 


92  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

Its  outer  walls  are  of  mosaic  work,  witli  glazed  blocks  of 
difierent  colours,  resembling  porcelain.  The  new  unfinished 
theatre,  which  is  to  bear  the  name  of  the  hero  of  an  hun- 
dred victorious  battles,  Santa  Anna,  is  to  have  an  entire 
classical  and  modern  front. 

While  promenading  the  streets  of  Mexico  to  glean  some- 
thing of  its  fame,  the  ringing  of  the  bells  was  a  constant 
annoyance  to  me,  and  it  did  seem  that  I  should  never  be- 
come accustomed  to  them.  To  one  not  having  been  used 
to  the  continued  sound  of  the  church-going  bells,  it  could 
not  otherwise  than  be  distressing.  My  way,  too,  was  im- 
peded in  the  streets  by  crowds  going  to  and  from  mass, 
and  absolution;  and  added  to  the  reverberation  of  church 
and  convent  bells,  was  the  explosion  of  rockets  from 
those  places  of  holy  worship,  as  if  it  seemed  that  some 
church  or  convent  was  in  the  act  of  celebrating  some  feast 
every  day.  They  have  an  expression  in  Mexico  which 
was  difficult  for  me  to  understand,  which  was — gueriendo 
a  dar,  wishing  to  ring.  It  appears  that  some  short  time 
previous  to  the  general  ringing,  some  one  or  more  smaller 
bells  would  commence  a  tolling,  or  irregular  ringing,  until 
the  time  should  arrive  for  the  grand  uproar  of  all  the  big 
ones. 

Besides  the  numerous  beggars  to  be  found  in  every  crowd, 
and  under  every  saint,  and  at  every  corner  of  the  street,  I 
found  likewise  beggars  stationed  at  every  door  of  the 
churches,  who  are  employed  by  the  priests  to  ask  alms  of 
the  passers  by,  for  the  benefit  of  each  peculiar  institution. 
This  is  an  every  day  business,  and  from  such  an  example 
by  the  church,  the  indolent  are  encouraged  to  make  their 
living  by  asking  charity.  I  have  had  journeymen  beggars 
solicit  me  to  give  them  money  for  the  family  of  Joseph, 
Jesus,  and  the  Most  Holy  Virgin.  Their  importunities  are 
couched  in  the  most  impressive  language,  and  which  is  per- 
petually at  their  tongue's  end,  "  By  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
the  agony  of  the  cross,  give  for  the  benefit  of  the  holy  lady 
Guadelupe." 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


93 


A  person  walking  the  streets  of  Mexico  finds  that  he 
must  frequently  step  aside  to  permit  the  water-carriers,  and 
other  day  labourers  of  the  class  of  lazarones,  to  pass  and 
repass,  or  else  come  in  contact  with  them,  as  from  the  in- 
clined position  of  their  heads,  they  cannot  see  before  them. 
And  I  hope  I  may  not  be  disbelieved,  by  those  who  have 
never  witnessed  the  feats  of  strength  of  a  lazarone  man, 
carrying  as  much  weight  on  his  back  and  head  as  almost 
any  of  the  mules  of  the  country,  at  least  their  burthens  to 
me  seemed  to  be  equal  in  bulk  to  the  heaviest  articles, 
transported  by  such  animals.  The  dress  of  this  class  dif-| 
fers  materially  from  that  of  the  decent  people.  Their  uppei* 
bodies  are  covered  alone  by  a  serapi  or  blanket,  with  a  hole 
through  the  centre,  for  the  head  to  pass  through,  or  else  it! 
is  worn  as  the  North  American  Indians  do  their  blankets ; 
his  pants  are  made  of  leather,  and  do  not  reach  below  the  ', 
knee ;  he  is  without  leggings  of  any  kind,  and  his  feet  are 
shod  with  sandals. 


94  TRAVELSIN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


visit  to  the  Natinnal  Miiseiitn  and  University.  Bronze  statue.  Sacrificial  stone.  Curi- 
oiiiies  of  savatje  antiquity.  Gallery  of  paintings.  Library  room.  Museum  proper. 
Paiiitinj^s.  Portrait  and  armour  of  Cortes.  Helmet  of  Alvarado.  Giant  of  Jalapa. 
A  miniature  representation  of  two  silver  mines.  Indian  relics.  Concliology.  Masto- 
don. Santa  Anna's  portrait.  ForniL-r  grandeur  of  the  City  of  Mexico.  Montezcuma's 
Managerie  and  Aviary.  Floating  gardens.  Visit  to  Conde  Peniaske's  private  museum. 
Philo.<ophic  apparatus.  Paintings.  Chinese  traiiapanncies.  Carved  picture.  Bomb 
shell.  Maquey  book.  Crystallization.  Beautiful  ladj-.  Feast  day  of  Guadaloupe. 
Hinging  of  bells  and  firing  of  rockets  and  cannon.  Going  to  mass.  Flags.  Picture 
of  the  Virgin  of  Guadaloupe.  Procession.  Joseph,  the  Infant,  the  Virgin  Mary.  The 
multitude  e:nbracing  the  Infant.  Origin  of  the  Virgin  Guadaloupe.  Pueblo  of  Guada- 
loupe. Vill:ij;e  of  mounds.  Multitude  of  people  at  Guadaloupe.  Commercial  booths. 
Dealers  of  Monte.  Gambling  priests.  I^o^)an  Catholics  of  the  United  States,  Europe, 
a:ui  Mexico.     Habits  of  the  priests.     Wealth  of  the  Church  of  Mexico. 


Having  had  my  curiosity  somewhat  satisfied,  in  my  cur- 
sory ramble  over  the  city,  I  felt  desirous  of  witnessing  what- 
ever might  be  considered  scientific  or  displayed  the  remains 
of  antiquity. 

I 'accordingly,  on  the  9th  of  December,  visited  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Green,  (a  promising  young  Am.erican, 
and  Secretary  of  the  United  States  Legation  at  Mexico,) 
the  National  University,  which  also  contains  the  National 
Museum. 

The  University  is  near  the  Government  Palace,  and  upon 
entering  the  great  door  way,  the  first  object  that  met  my 
view  was  the  equestrian  and  colossal  bronze  statue  of 
Charles  IV.  of  Spain.  Since  the  revolution  the  Mexicans, 
in  their  singular  attachments  and  ideas  for  every  thing  re- 
publican, have  denominated  the  statue  the  "  Big  Horse,'" 
and  in  the  same  spirit  of  patriotism,  have  removed  the 
we  ghty  construction  from  before  the  palace,  its  original 
position,  at  an  expense  of  twelve  thousand  dollars,  within 
the  court-yard,  the  place  it  now  occupies  in  the  National 
University. 

This  statue  is  boasted  to  have  been  originally  designed 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


95 


and  cast  by  Tolsa,  a  Mexican  statuary ;  yet  with  much  ap- 
parent truth,  it  is  contended  that  it  was  the  workmanship 
of  an  Italian  artist;  be  that  as  it  may,  it  beyond  doubt  re- 
flects much  credit  on  tiie  sculptor,  whoever  he  was,  and  I 
have  ever  been  impressed  with  the  opinion,  that  nothing  to 
be  seen  in  Mexico  can  compare  with  it.  The  statue  is 
said,  with  the  pedestal  upon  which  it  is  positioned,  to  mea- 
sure about  twenty-three  feet.  Charles  IV.  is  represented 
mounted  on  the  horse,  with  a  wreath  of  laurel  bound  around 
his  brow.  He  is  in  Roman  costume,  with  a  robe  flowing 
over  his  shoulders  reaching  to  the  horse.  In  his  extended 
right  hand  is  a  truncheon,  and  a  sword  on  his  thigh.  The 
horse  is  represented  as  moving  forward,  with  his  right  hind  . 
foot  treading  on  a  quiver  of  arrows.  The  design  and  exe- 
cution of  this  colossal  figure  is  said,  by  competent  judges  in 
such  arts,  to  be  as  symmetrical  and  perfect  as  any  to  be 
found  in  any  country.  To  me  it  had  an  imposing  appear- 
ance, exciting  more  of  interest  than  all  the  objects  of  the 
city  together. 

Under  the  corridor  of  the  same  court  is  the  Sacrificial 
Stone  of  Montezeuma,  besides  many  of  his  gods  thrown 
conspicuously  together,  but  which  are  said  to  Have  belonged 
originally  to  the  sacred  temples  of  the  heathen  monarch. 

Although  this  stone  bears  the  name  of  the  Sacrificial,  yet 
it  cannot  be  the  one  as  described  by  some  historians,  which 
had  its  position  on  the  top  of  the  great  temple  of  Teocalli, 
for  that  stone  is  represented  as  having  a  smooth  oval  sur- 
face, so  that  when  the  victim  was  extended  upon  it,  his 
breast  was  protruded,  and  the  priest  thereby  was  the  better 
enabled  to  make  the  fatal  incision,  and  tear  the  heart  palpi- 
tating from  the  body.  The  stone  now  seen,  must  have  been 
used  in  some  other  tem.ple  than  that  of  Teocalli,  as  its 
weight  would  have  been  an  ineffectual  barrier  to  its  high 
elevation  on  that  temple.  The  diameter  of  this  horrid  stone 
is  above  nine  feet,  and  three  feet  through.  It  is  sculptured 
all  round  with  representations  of  demoniac  Indian  priests 


gg  T  R  A  V  E  L  S  I  N  M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

and  unknown  hieroglyphics,  having  some  resemblance  to 
those  found  in  Yucatan  by  Mr.  Stephens  of  New  York. 
The  level  surface  of  the  stone  has  singular  figures  cut  upon 
it.  There  is  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  about  twelve  inches  in 
diameter  and  two  feet  deep ;  there  were  also  trenches  cut 
from  this  centre  cavity  to  the  outer  edges  of  the  stone. 
The  hole,  it  is  said,  was  intended  to  receive  the  blood  of 
the  human  victim  sacrificed  on  it ;  and  the  trenches  served 
the  purpose  of  conducting  the  superfluous  gore  from  the 
centre,  over  the  sides  of  the  stone,  for  the  additional  uses  of 
the  priests.  While  casting  my  eyes  around  me,  I  could  only 
regret  to  behold  so  many  valuable  curiosities  of  savage  an- 
tiquity so  indifferently  preserved — being  heaped  together  in 
piles,  as  if  they  were  but  the  fragments  of  stone  from  a  fall- 
en wall. 

From  the  court  we  ascended  a  flight  of  steps,  which  car- 
ried us  on  the  corridor ;  and  the  first  room  we  entered,  was 
a  gallery  of  paintings. 

The  portrait  likenesses  of  this  room  consisted  chiefly  of 
presidents,  politicians,  generals,  bishops,  and  priests  of 
Mexico.  Some  of  these  paintings  seemed  to  my  compre- 
hension to  h'ave  been  finished  by  masters  of  their  art,  and 
all  of  them  were  hung  in  elegant  gilded  frames.  I  have 
been  informed,  that  Mexico  once  contained  paintings  of  the 
best  artists  ever  known  to  the  world,  but  the  priests,  who 
left  the  country  after  the  revolution,  took  with  them  the 
larger  portion.  These  acts  resulted  in  causing  the  Mexi- 
can Congress  to  enact  a  law,  prohibiting  a  painting  of  any 
kind  from  being  taken  out  of  the  country.  But  that  was 
locking  the  door  after  the  thief  had  made  his  escape. 

From  the  gallery  of  Fine  Arts,  I  was  conducted  into  a 
capacious  apartment  called  the  Library  room.  I  found  in 
this  the  librarian,  as  I  imagined,  seated  at  a  revolving 
wheel,  deeply  absorbed  in  reading  newspapers.  On  our 
entering  the  room  we  requested  permission  to  examine  the 
library,  which  he  politely  granted,  but  without  leaving  his 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


97 


seat  to  open  the  cases  for  our  inspection,  so  intent  was  he 
in  reading  the  news.  As  the  case,  however,  had  glass 
doors,  we  could  easily  read  the  titled  labels  of  the  books 
contained  therein.  The  room  was  sufficiently  large  to  have 
contained  an  hundred  thousand  volumes ;  yet  the  National 
Library  so  called,  judging  by  the  e3'e,  did  not  possess  more 
than  two  thousand.  Nevertheless,  some  portraits  and  paint- 
ings were  hung  around  the  room,  which  exhibited  appear- 
ances of  great  antiquity.  The  books,  as  far  as  I  examined, 
proved  to  be  mostly  Latin  and  French  works,  for  in  an 
hour's  inspection  I  did  not  meet  with  more  than  some  half 
dozen  Spanish  volumes. 

From  the  library  room  we  entered  the  Museum  proper, 
and  it  was  a  source  of  disappointment  to  find  that  that 
apartment  likewise  contained  paintings  which  seemed  as  if 
they  had  been  hung  around  the  room  more  for  the  purpose 
of  ornament,  than  of  establishing  a  gallery  of  fine  arts. 
And  notwithstanding  I  had  become  fatigued  by  looking  at 
pictures,  I  determined  to  give  them  an  inspection,  for  the 
fact  of  their  antiquated  appearance.  They  consisted  of 
paintings  of  the  kings  and  queens  of  Spain ;  the  vice- 
roys, and  bishops  of  Mexico.  Amongst  them  was  point- 
ed out  to  me  that  of  Ferdinand,  as  also  that  of  Isabella. 
But  that  which  chiefly  attracted  my  notice,  was  one  of 
Hernando  Cortes,  with  the  high  forehead,  and  the  counte- 
nance expressive  of  that  firmness  which  bore  him  trium- 
phantly through  a  conquest  unrivalled  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Lender  this  portrait  was  the  armour  of  Cortes  which 
he  wore  in  the  heat  and  shock  of  battle,  and  from  under 
which  he  so  much  gloried  in  calling  upon  his  favourite  saint 
"  St.  Jago,"  and  then  rushing  on  to  the  charge  and  the 
slaughter.  The  helmet  of  the  Alvorado  was  also  close  by. 
I  would  suppose  that  there  never  had  been  but  one  giant  in 
Mexico,  from  the  fact  that  a  full  length  likeness  of  one  was 
hanging  in  the  room.  This  giant  had  his  birth  in  Jalapa, 
and  measured  seven  feet  in  height. 
7 


98 


TRAVELS    IN    ."MEXICO. 


Besides  ihc  paintings  in  this  room,  there  was  a  miniature 
representation  of  two  of  the  profitable  silver  mines  of  Mex- 
ico. They  not  only  liad  a  rich  appearance,  but  were  ex- 
ceedingly interesting,  from  the  well-arranged  specimens  of 
the  different  kinds  of  ore  as  found  in  the  mines.  These  ex- 
hibitions not  only  showed  the  various  strata  of  earth,  stone 
and  mineral,  but  intended  to  present  the  exact  aspect  of  the 
excavations  under  the  surface ;  and  by  an  ingenious  toy 
contrivance,  the  turning  the  wheel  by  which  all  the  machi- 
nery used  for  bringing  the  heavy  metals  to  the  top  of  the 
earth  Avould  be  put  in  motion — as  also  the  labourers  who 
were  at  work  in  the  mines,  with  pickaxes  and  shovels ; 
while,  at  the  same  time,  the  mules  with  their  heavy  packs 
would  slowly  move  along  like  things  of  life. 

By  this  happy  construction,  the  looker-on  could  be  saved 
the  necessity  and  trouble  of  descending  the  shafts  of  the 
mines  to  examine  the  different  specimens  of  mineralogy, 
and  the  modes  by  which  such  are  disinterred.  The  mines 
intended  to  be  represented  are  those  of  Rio  del  Monte  and 
Friznillo.  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  some  of  our  enterprising 
Yankees  had  them,  they  would  be  sure  of  making  fortunes 
by  pedestrianizing  the  Union. 

The  remaining  curiosities  in  this  room  consisted  mainly 
of  Indian  relics,  conchology,  and  the  helmets  and  armour  of 
the  early  Spaniards,  all  of  which  were  badly  arranged,  if 
they  could  be  said  at  all  to  have  order.  Among  the  Indian 
curiosities  were  vast  numbers  of  stones,  both  great  and 
small  in  size,  said  to  have  been  the  gods  of  the  Aztics.  Of 
that  race  of  people  it  is  said,  that,  besides  the  gods  worship- 
ped in  their  temples,  every  family,  as  well  as  every  individ- 
ual, was  possessed  of  gods  peculiarly  their  own,  and  regar- 
ded as  the  instruments  through  which  only  the  greater  di- 
vinities should  be  appeased.  These  gods  are  sometimes  of 
the  brute  order,  while  others  are  of  half  human  and  half 
brute  or  reptile  species.  There  was  also  to  be  seen  every 
variety  of  rock,  knife,  and  Indian  point,  besides  as  much 


TRAVELS   IN   :M  E  X  I  C  O  . 


J)9 


fashion  exhibited  in  cakimct  Indian  pipes,  as  ever  was  seen 
in  any  one  article.  Tiierc  were  (hinking  vessels  shaped  like 
frogs,  Mexican  rabbits,  birds  and  snakes,  intended  perhaps 
for  Pulque  purposes,  cart-loads  of  which  are  found  in  the  ex- 
cavations of  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  which  likely  were  bu- 
ried by  the  Indians,  as  it  is  said  they  did  their  silver  and 
gold,  during  the  siege  of  Cortes. 

In  the  fourth  and  last  room,  were  the  skins  of  many  ani- 
mals, birds,  and  snakes,  stuffed  in  an  imperfect  manner,  and 
not  amounting  to  one-twentieth  part  the  quantity  of  those  to 
be  seen  at  the  National  Institute  at  the  city  of  Washington. 
And  besides  other  exhibitions  to  be  seen  in  this  room,  there 
w'ere  to  be  met  with,  in  the  cabinets  of  mineralogy,  every  va- 
riety of  mineral  ores  as  discovered  in  all  Mexico,  the  precious 
metals  of  which,  if  extracted,  would  amount  to  no  inconsi- 
derable sum,  besides  its  value  and  richness  of  appearance. 
It  must  have  been  arranged  by  some  classic  Frenchman,  as 
the  specimens  were  all  habited  in  the  French  style. 

After  I  had  for  some  time  investigated  the  bones  of  a 
Mastodon,  and  other  fossils  which  lay  scattered  over  the 
floor  of  the  room — on  raising  my  eyes  in  search  of  other 
curiosities,  the  portrait  of  Santa  Anna  met  my  view, 
and  on  looking  around  to  discover  if  there  were  any  others  in 
the  apartment,  and  finding  none,  I  could  not  but  be  impressed 
with  the  vanity  of  his  friends,  or  of  himself,  in  thus  so  con- 
spicuously giving  his  portrait  the  entire  room,  instead  of 
hanging  it  in  the  galleries  with  those  of  the  other  distin- 
guished compeers  in  the  country's  service. 

On  retiring  from  the  Museum  and  the  University,  I  again 
reflected  upon  the  former  grandeur  of  the  city  of  Mexico, 
when  under  the  dominion  of  Montezeuma,  whose  name  must 
ever  be  coeval  with  this  great  place — and  contrasted  in  my 
own  mind  the  flourishing  condition  of  the  barbaric  arts  and 
sciences  in  his  time,  with  those  the  Mexicans  of  the  present 
day  enjoy,  having  the  aid  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the 
example  of  the  civilized  world  to  instruct  them  in  the  la  by- 


100 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


rintlis  of  philosophical  research,  and  lead  them  through  the 
archives  of  learning. 

The  conquerors  found  at  the  city  of  Mexico  a  menagerie 
and  aviary,  filled  with  every  animal,  creeping  thing,  insect, 
and  bird  known  to  their  country.  The  animals,  birds,  and 
reptiles  being  confined  in  appropriate  cages,  by  a  suitable 
arrangement  of  large  enclosures,  were  attended  by  persons 
appointed  for  that  exclusive  business.  And  what  was  not 
inconsistent  with  Indian  taste,  the  Emperor  also  had  a  col- 
lection of  living  dwarfs,  who  were  provided  for  in  conse- 
quence of  their  diminutive  size,  peculiar  physiognomy  and 
singular  shapes.  I  do  not  consider  such  an  exhibition  of 
dwarfs  to  have  been  more  repugnant  to  feelings  of  humani- 
ty, and  to  public  morals  and  decorum,  than  the  shocking 
and  mournful  sights  to  be  seen  of  preserved  infants,  in  many 
a  jar  of  the  National  Museum,  Such  appearances  should 
belong  alone  to  the  cabinet  of  the  surgeon. 

Montezeuma  had  also  his  botanic  gardens,  some  of  which 
floated  on  the  lakes,  and  in  them  were  cultivated  with  great 
care  every  variety  of  flower,  plant,  and  shrub,  to  please  the 
sight,  and  adorn  his  idols;  nothing  of  which  are  to  be  seen  at 
the  present  day.  It  is  true  that  the  old  Spaniards  did  divert 
themselves  in  paying  some  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  refined  ornamental  arts  and  sciences,  but  all  is  now  lost 
— for  the  Mexican  of  the  present  day  is  devoted  to  the  art 
of  resounding  arms,  and  the  desolation  of  his  own  country 
now  marks  his  footsteps  with  kindred  blood,  and  ruined  civ- 
ilization. 

On  the  10th  instant,  by  invitation  of  Mr.  Green,  I  accom- 
panied him  to  the  Conde  Paniaski's  dwelling,  to  have  a  view 
of  his  private  Museum,  which  has  hardly  ever  escaped  the 
notice  of  travellers  in  Mexico.  On  our  arrival  at  the  cour- 
teous Condc's,  he  seemed  pleased  to  see  us,  and  had  the 
doors  of  his  museum  thrown  open  for  our  inspection. 

The  first  room  we  entered  contained  a  valuable  philoso- 
phical apparatus,  which  at  once  demonstrated  that  he  was 


TRAVELS    IN    .MEXICO. 


101 


learned  as  well  as  curious.  He  had  in  his  collection  in  that 
apartment  many  paintings  from  the  pencils  of  celebrated 
artists,  together  with  curious  and  delicate  ivory  transparen- 
cies of  exquisite  workmanship,  brought  from  China.  Among 
these,  that  which  most  interested  my  admiration  was  a 
landscape  view,  said  to  have  been  cut  with  a  penknife  out 
of  ivory.  This  carved  picture  presented  a  back  ground  of 
a  forest,  with  a  field  in  cultivation,  and  on  the  fore  ground 
was  a  dwelling,  garden,  yards,  and  fruit-trees,  all  in  the 
most  perfect  and  exact  representation.  The  whole  picture 
was  comprised  in  the  small  compass  of  four  inches  square, 
presenting  the  most  singular  piece  of  ingenuity  that  I  had 
ever  beheld.  He  had  likewise  a  fragment  of  the  French 
shell  that  blew  down  the  cupola  of  the  castle  of  San  Juan 
de  Ulloa,  together  with  many  iron  and  lead  bullets  that  had 
been  fired  upon  the  battle-fields  of  his  country. 

He  had  also  a  book  of  fine  fabric,  of  the  maguey,  upon 
which  the  hieroglyphic  writing  of  the  aboriginal  Mexicans 
was  painted.  Mr.  Prescott  has  remarked — "  At  the  time  of 
the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  great  quantities  of  those  manu- 
scripts were  treasured  up  in  the  country.  Numerous  per- 
sons were  employed  in  painting,  and  the  dexterity  of  their 
operations  excited  the  astonishment  of  the  conquerors.  Un- 
fortunately, this  was  mingled  with  other  feelings  more  un- 
worthy. The  strange,  unknown  characters  inscribed  on 
them  excited  suspicion.  They  were  looked  on  as  magic 
scrolls,  and  were  regarded  in  the  same  light  as  the  idols  and 
temples,  as  symbols  of  a  pestilential  superstition,  which 
must  be  extirpated.  The  first  archbishop  of  Mexico,  Don 
Juan  de  Zummarago — a  name  that  should  be  as  immortal  as 
that  of  Omar — collected  those  paintings  from  every  quarter, 
especially  from  Tercuco,  the  most  cultivated  capitol  in  An- 
ahuac,  and  the  great  depository  of  the  national  archives. 
He  then  caused  them  to  be  piled  up  in  a  '  mountain  heap' — 
as  it  is  called  by  the  Spanish  writers  themselves — in  the 
market-place  of  Tleetelalco,  and  reduced  them  to  ashes. 


102 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


His  greater  countryman,  Archbishop  Ximcnes,  had  celebra- 
ted a  similar  auto-da-fe  of  Arabic  manuscripts  in  Grenada, 
some  twenty  years  before.  Never  before  did  his  fanaticism 
achieve  two  more  singlar  triumphs,  than  by  the  annihilation 
of  so  many  curious  monuments  of  human  ingenuity  and 
learning." 

After  having  looked  on  many  valuable  and  interesting  cu- 
riosities in  that  room,  we  were  shown  into  an  adjoining  one 
tliat  contained  his  cabinet  of  mineralogy,  which  was  indeed 
a  rich  collection.  He  not  only  had  specimens  of  all  the 
minerals  in  Mexico,  but  those  of  other  countries  in  full  con- 
trast. His  cabinet  w^as  arranged  in  classic  taste,  as  every 
thing  about  his  Museum  and  house  appeared  to  be.  His 
collection  of  coins  were  numerous,  some  of  them  having 
the  stamp  of  Alexander  the  Great.  The  Conde  had  also  in 
that  room  the  monstrous  sight  of  a  preserved  infant,  with 
one  body,  and  two  well-formed  and  independent  heads. 

As  my  eyes  ranged  around  the  room,  a  collection  of  bril- 
liant crystals  attracted  my  attention,  and  as  I  became  deep- 
ly engaged  in  beholding  the  splendid  scene,  for  at  the  same 
time  my  view  was  dazzled  by  the  prism,  the  agate,  the  to- 
paz, the  sapphire,  and  the  sparkling  diamond,  scintillating  as 
it  were,  raj-s  of  light  from  their  bright  surfaces — when  be- 
hold !  in  the  midst  of  my  admiration,  my  attention  was  sud- 
denly diverted  by  the  appearance  of  a  young  lady  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  glass  door  near  me.  Slightly  turning 
by  the  accident  of  the  occasion,  my  eyes  met  those  of  the 
lovely  fair  one,  and  notwithstanding  my  whole  soul,  but  the 
moment  before,  was  enraptured  with  gazing  on  the  splendid 
beauties  of  nature's  gems;  yet,  I  must  in  truth  say,  that  the 
lovely,  smiling  young  female  who  then  met  my  view  was 
infinitely  more  charming  and  more  beautiful  to  behold,  than 
all  tiie  rich  and  splendid  diamonds  of  the  cabinet  of  crys- 
talization.  Indeed,  from  the  first  momentary  glimpse  of  her, 
there  was  not  remaining  a  single  impression  on  my  mind  of 
any  of  the  curiosities  of  the  Museum.     While  my  thoughts 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  1()3 

were  thus  bewildered,  the  lady,  like  an  angel,  glided  softly 
away,  and  I  was  roused  to  self-possession  by  the  voice  of 
Mr.  Green,  and  in  a  delighted  and  happy  frame  of  mind,  we 
left  the  Conde  Paniaski's  mansion. 

On  the  11th  December,  the  celebration  of  the  feast  day  of 
Guadaloupe,  the  patron  saint  of  Mexico,  took  place.  The 
performances  on  that  occasion  were  not  intended  as  the 
great  festival  of  the  Virgin  of  Guadaloupe,  but  only  as  it 
were,  a  Queriendo,  a  wishing,  as  some  called  it,  to  begin  a 
grand  exhibition  which  was  to  come  off  on  the  12th  instant, 
at  the  temple  erected  for  the  worship  of  her  shrine,  three 
miles  from  the  city. 

I  was  aroused  from  my  slumber,  on  the  morning  of  the 
lllh,  at  4  o'clock,  by  the  never-faihng  and  indefatigable 
bells,  together  with  the  firing  of  rockets,  making  rapid  ex- 
plosions, from  all  the  churches  in  the  city.  It  did  seem  to 
me  that  the  quick  volleys  of  ten  thousand  muskets  could  not 
have  made  more  noise.  I  rose  from  my  bed  to  look  out,  not 
knowing  that  the  firing  was  in  honour  of  a  feast-day.  But 
my  first  impressions  were  that  a  revolutionary  action  had 
commenced,  that  would  make  the  Dictator  tremble  on  his 
throne,  by  the  hopeful  issue  of  a  new  aspirant's  attack  upon 
the  lion  in  his  den — yet,  by  throwing  wide  my  window  I 
discovered  that  all  was  quiet  and  harmonious  on  earth,  and 
above  from  the  ramparts  and  towers  of  the  celestial  build- 
ings, shot  the  streaming  fire  high  in  the  air,  which  showed 
that  the  war  was  only  in  heaven,  whilst  men  and  women 
were  smiling  on  the  scene.  But  at  the  moment  of  the  ri- 
sing of  the  sun,  the  combat  deepened — for  the  firing  of  can- 
non was  opened  on  earth,  and,  for  all  the  day,  in  thundering 
tones,  echoed  back  the  small-arms  of  the  skies. 

The  religious  ceremonies  of  the  day  commenced  by  the 
inhabitants  going  to  mass  in  crowds,  dressed  in  their  best 
attire  for  such  occasions.  The  lazarones  seemed,  for  the 
time,  to  have  skulked  from  the  streets,  by  the  increased  de- 
cency of  the  general  public.     All  the  houses  of  the  rich 


2Q4  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

had  in  front  white  flags  floating  from  them,  with  their  fa- 
vourite saint,  the  Virgin  of  Guadaloupe,  pinned  to  the  cen- 
tre, while  the  high  towers  and  belfries  of  the  churches  had 
the  red  banners  of  the  cross  streaming  from  them.  As 
evening  approached,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  riding  and  w^alk- 
ing,  all  mixed  in  one  common  crowd,  in  the  streets,  to  join 
the  solemn  procession  of  the  occasion,  which  was  to  take 
place  at  four  o'clock.  Fire-works  were  erected  at  the  cross- 
ing of  the  streets,  while  in  every  direction  I  beheld  trium- 
phal arches  of  flowers  thrown  over  the  streets,  and  the 
archbishop  was  drawn  in  his  coach  and  six,  attended  by  ser- 
vants in  crimson  livery.  In  fine,  every  thing  had  the  most 
gay  and  lively  appearance. 

When  the  appointed  hour  had  arrived  for  the  saints  to 
make  their  glorious  entry  in  public,  and  join  the  multitude, 
I  saw  Joseph,  with  an  infant  in  liis  arms,  mounted  on 
a  splendid  car,  drawn  by  men,  enter  from  a  church  at  the 
extremity  of  a  street,  followed  by  young  boys,  fantastically 
dressed,  and  holding  bouquets  of  flowers  in  their  hands, — 
then  came  the  Virgin  Mary,  mounted  on  a  car,  similar  to 
Joseph's,  but  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  men,  and  having  a 
golden  wreath  floating  over  her  head, — and  w^ith  her  gown 
covered  and  glittering  with  precious  ornaments.  With 
meek  humility,  contrasting  strangely  with  her  rich  attire, 
she  seemed  to  smile  benignly  on  the  good  people  around  her. 
She  was  escorted  by  a  parly  of  priests,  a  band  of  music, 
and  a  company  of  soldiers ;  and,  as  the  pageant  passed 
along,  amidst  the  roar  of  the  firing  of  the  rockets,  small- 
arms  and  cannon,  the  people  uncovered  themselves  in  pro- 
found respect  to  the  glittering  procession. 

As  I  followed  on  after  the  crowd,  and  arrived  opposite 
the  gate  of  San  Francisco,  I  discovered  there  a  priest 
holding  in  his  arms  the  wooden  child,  the  same  which  I  had 
seen  Joseph  bear.  The  eager  multitude  around  were  vicing 
with  one  another  in  their  embraces  of  the  infant.  In  my 
own  profession,  in  acknowledging  my  obedience  to  God  and 


TRAVELSIN  MEXICO.  jQg 

his  Son,  as  known  to  mankind,  through  the  means  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments,  not  considering  it  necessary,  in  keep- 
ing the  commandments  and  precepts  inculcated  therein,  to 
declare  homage  or  fealty  to  any  Christian  denomination, — 
the  scenes  of  that  day  impressed  my  mind  with  the  folly 
and  superstition  of  mankind  in  their  attempt  to  worship  with 
pomp  and  show  the  Supreme  Head  of  the  universe,  instead 
of  givinor  unto  him  that  reasonable  service  which  he  re- 
quires  at  the  hands  of  his  creatures. 

The  fete  of  the  11th  inst.  was  not  to  be  compared  to  that 
which  was  to  take  place  on  the  succeeding  day,  at  the 
church  erected  in  honour  of  the  Virgin  Saint  of  Guada- 
loup'",  three  miles  from  the  city.  It  will  not  be  improper 
here  to  state  the  origin  and  history  of  the  patron  saint  of 
Mexico ;  and  I  protest,  that  in  so  doing,  my  object  is  not  to 
deride,  or  impose  upon  the  minds  of  the  credulous,  but  to 
relate  the  prominent  features,  as  often  recounted  to  me, 
with  all  the  semblance  of  truth  and  hearty  belief,  by  several 
Mexicans. 

It  is  said  that,  on  the  8th  of  December,  1531,  an  Indian, 
by  name  Juan  Diego,  was  seated  on  a  rock  on  the  moun- 
tain of  Tepeye.  Being  overpowered  with  fatigue,  (being 
then  making  a  long  journey,)  while  taking  his  rest,  the  Vir- 
gin Mary  appeared  to  him,  and  directed  him  to  go  to  the 
city  of  Mexico,  and  say  to  the  bishop,  that  she  desired  him 
to  worship  her  on  the  spot  they  then  occupied.  The  Indian 
forthwith  arose  and  went  into  the  city  to  obey  the  com- 
mands of  the  Virgin,  but  upon  the  following  day  returned, 
and  informed  Mary  that  he  was  but  a  poor  Indian,  and  could 
not  obtain  an  interview  with  the  illustrious  bishop.  She 
commanded  him  to  return,  and  insist  upon  being  heard.  In 
compliance,  Diego  returned  the  second  time ;  and,  on  the 
following  day,  said  to  the  Virgin,  that  the  bishop  required  a 
token  from  her  to  give  his  statement  validity.  Whereupon 
she  ordered  him  to  go  upon  the  mountain  and  pluck  some 
roses,  and  bring  them  to  her.     The  Indian,  in  going  there, 


106 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


was  surprised  to  find  the  roses  growing  on  a  mountain  where 
there  was  no  soil  or  vegetation.  He  presented  the  flowers 
to  Mary,  which  she  threw  on  his  serapc,  and  directed  him  to 
carry  them  to  the  bishop.  The  Indian,  having  presented  the 
serapc  to  the  holy  man,  he  unfolded  it,  and,  behold,  not  only 
the  roses  were  therein,  but  also  he  found  a  full-length  por- 
trait of  the  Virgin  Mary.  The  bishop  could  no  longer  dis- 
believe, and  the  Indian  informed  him  that  the  image  on  the 
garment  should  be  called  the  Virgin  of  Guadaloupe;  where- 
upon the  archbishop  ordered  that  a  splendid  church  should 
be  built  on  the  spot,  to  commemorate  the  miracle. 

Having  taken  a  coach,  my  route  lay  north  from  the  city. 
A  great  portion  of  the  way  was  on  one  of  the  two  cause- 
ways, which  stretch  over  an  arm  of  the  lake,  jutting  be- 
tween the  city  and  the  church.  The  ride  was  delightful, 
and  I  felt  much  refreshed  by  having  quit  the  noise  and  bus- 
tle of  the  city,  and  at  the  delightful  prospect  of  the  lake, 
and  the  trees  scattered  along  the  margin  of  the  causeway. 

About  midway  to  Guadaloupe,  I  observed  a  small  village 
of  dirt  mounds,  where  the  inhabitants  lived  like  burrowed 
rabbits,  and,  indeed,  there  was  a  chapel,  built  of  the  same 
mud  and  earth,  having  a  belfry ;  and,  having  no  shape  of 
bricks  in  the  structure  of  the  walls,  these  dirt  hovels  pre- 
sented a  bold  contrast  with  the  city  behind,  and  the  wealthy 
church  in  front. 

Wheft  I  arrived  at  the  celebrated  temple  of  Guadaloupe, 
it  seemed  to  me,  from  the  appearance  of  the  crowd  through 
which  I  had  to  pass,  and  the  confusion  which  reigned  there, 
as  if  all  the  world  was  about  to  congregate  at  the  shrine  of 
the  Virgin.  There  was  a  vast  number  of  padres  and  friars, 
who  had  assembled  from  all  parts  of  Mexico,  to  worship  at 
the  feet  of  their  patron  saint.  Canaliso,  the  dictator,  pro 
tern.,  and  all  the  members  of  his  cabinet  were  there,  dressed 
in  complete  uniform.  All  the  diplomacy  were  there,  dressed 
in  honour  of  the  great  saint-day.  The  thronged  and  mixed 
multitude  presented  a  most  singular  appearance,  in  contrast 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO 


107 


with  the  gaudy  uniforms  of  the  civil  and  miUtary  function- 
aries. The  black,  the  grey,  and  the  "white  habits  of  the 
clergy,  with  their  long  shovel  hats;  the  foppish  appearance 
of  the  arriero  and  the  ladrone,  with  the  broad-brimmed 
hats,  with  silver  or  gold  bands,  light  laced  jacket,  large 
pants  with  buttons  dangling  down  the  seams,  and  red  sash 
around  the  loins ;  the  common  citizen,  unable  to  make  any 
show ;  and  last,  though  not  the  least  in  number,  the  Indian 
and  greasy  lazarone,  all  mixed  in  one  common  herd,  formed 
an  unpleasing  and  distressing  sight. 

Besides  the  many  shops  in  the  row  of  buildings,  which 
extends  round  the  church,  there  were  many  booths  all 
over  the  Plaza,  in  which  commodities  of  all  kinds  were  of- 
fered for  sale,  affording  to  the  hungry  the  means  to  satisfy 
his  appetite,  and,  to  the  pious,  images  of  saints  for  their" 
M^orship.  But  their  business  was  not  confined  to  these  ; 
many  of  these  booths  were  filled  with  dealers  of  monte,  a 
game  resembling  faro — and  with  casters  of  dice.  In  fine, 
every  thing  in  the  way  oi game  was  ofi^ered  under  the  eaves 
of  the  sanctuary,  and  the  protection  of  the  Virgin. 

Here  was  seen  every  description  of  character  at  play — 
the  civilian,  the  soldier,  the  priest,  and  the  citizen.  It  is  not 
my  interest  here,  to  make  fictitious  statements  of  any  thing 
I  may  have  seen  in  my  visit  to  Mexico ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, desire  to  please  all  people ;  and,  if  any  Catholic  should 
take  exceptions  to  my  remarks,  he  cannot  deny  that  they 
are  true,  for  the  world  has  proof  as  strong,  I  was  going  to 
say,  as  holy  writ ; — at  least  other  testimony  than  mine. 
My  purpose  is  to  write  a  book  of  my  travels ;  and  whatever 
I  have  seen  in  church  or  state  I  shall  use  my  prerogative, 
independently,  in  approbating  or  condemning,  as  I  may  con- 
ceive just  and  proper.  However,  be  it  said,  of  the  Roman 
Catholics  of  the  United  States  and  of  Europe,  that  they 
have  not  their  holy  religion  corrupted  by  Indian  rites  and 
shows  to  win  the  savage  and  uncultivated  to  the  Christian 
faith. 


108 


TRAVELS   IN   iM  E  X  I  C  O . 


It  is  now  nearly  four  centuries  since  the  Indians  of  Mex- 
ico were  converted  to  the  Christian  religion,  and  surely  it 
is  high  time  that  the  church  should  be  purified.  But  I  not 
only  stood  and  saw  the  fathers  of  this  institution  under  the 
shadow  of  the  shrine  they  worshipped,  betting  at  cards  and 
other  games,  but  I  was  more  than  once  credibly  informed, 
that  the  church  itself  was  the  holy  owner  of  many  of  those 
c;amblincT  tables. 

My  first  desire  was  to  enter  the  church,  and,  having  suc- 
ceeded, I  was  impressed  with  the  power  of  that  religion 
which  so  extravagantly  used  the  wealth  of  the  world  to  de- 
corate itself  withal.  All  the  banisters  and  railings,  which 
met  my  view,  were  of  silver.  The  large  chandelier,  which 
hung  by  a  gilt  chain  from  the  dome,  was  also,  I  was  inform- 
ed, of  the  same  precious  metal.  As  I  entered,  the  many 
candles  it  contained  were  about  being  lit  by  a  man  who  had 
ascended  by  a  ladder,  and  mounted  the  chandelier,  walking 
with  ease  around  it,  until  he  had  illuminated  the  tall  tapers. 
The  altar  before  the  Serape,  which  contained  the  express 
image  of  the  Virgin,  so  miraculously  wrought  by  herself, 
was  of  silver,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  gold  and 
silver  candlesticks.  The  Serape  was  contained  in  a  gold 
frame,  with  a  glass  door,  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  and,  be- 
sides a  multitude  of  other  diamonds,  there  were  nine  large 
stars  worked  with  diamonds,  supposed  to  be  worth  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  At  the  foot  of  the  image  are  clusters  of 
diamonds.  Above  the  serape  is  a  solid  dove  of  silver,  sus- 
pended in  the  air,  some  three  feet  in  length. 

The  arched  domes  of  the  chapels  were  highly  gilded  and 
painted  with  representations  of  angels  flying  in  the  clouds. 
The  ceremonies  were  lon2:  and  solemn,  during  which  mass 
was  taken.  I  was  told  that,  on  one  of  those  festival  occa- 
sions, a  priest  from  old  Spain  was  requested  to  deliver  a 
sermon,  and  he  refused,  saying  that  the  Pope  had  nev^er  re- 
cognized the  miracle  of  Guadaloup6.  The  motto  of  the 
church  is,  "  non  fecit  iaiiter  omnia  Jtatione."     The  services 


TRAVELS    IN    IM  E  X  I  C  O  . 


109 


being  long,  I  spent  a  portion  of  my  time  in  examining  all 
within  and  without.  To  the  rear  of  the  church,  but  at- 
tached to  the  building,  is  a  chapel  erected  over  a  fountain, 
and  with  the  water  the  worshippers  not  only  crossed  them- 
selves but  washed  in  it,  believing  that  its  efficacy  was  the 
same  as  the  pool  of  Siloam.  Up  the  side  of  an  abrupt 
mountain  of  rock  above  the  church,  a  winding -path  conduc- 
ted me  to  a  small  chapel,  where  also  religious  services  were 
performed. 

During  my  rambles  over  the  place,  my  attention  was  di- 
rected to  an  old  padre  who  stood  in  one  of  the  large  doors 
of  the  church,  and  whose  fingers  were  covered  with  dia- 
mond rings.  My  friend  also  pointed  to  his  large  gold  shoe 
buckles,  that  were  thickly  set  around  with  diamonds.  The 
precious  metal  and  brilliant  stones  bore  a  remarkable  con- 
trast to  the  old  clergyman's  black  gown  and  shovel  hat.  By 
the  way,  I  put  myself  to  the  trouble  to  ascertain  the  diam- 
eter across  the  brim  of  one  of  those  hats,  and  it  was  pre- 
cisely twenty-eight  inches.  The  brim  is  rolled  up  at  the 
sides,  and  the  front  and  back  parts  present  a  shovel-like 
form — hence  they  are  called  shovel  hats.  To  those  who 
have  a  vague  idea  of  Mexico,  and  the  religious  ceremonies 
of  that  people,  it  will  appear  that  it  was  an  national  festival, 
and  that  the  President,  p-o  ion.,  and  all  of  his  cabinet  were 
there  in  their  elegant  uniforms — consequently,  when  nobles 
come  to  worship,  the  priests  must,  for  decency's  sake,  put  on 
their  fine  jewels.  I  think  I  have  heard  it  defended  by  Protes- 
tants, that  religion  should  be  dressed,  to  make  it  respectable 
in  the  eyes  of  the  rich,  and,  if  it  should  be  right  in  them, 
ought  it  to  be  an  error  of  the  Catholic  ? 

The  priests  in  Mexico  are  numerous.  They  are  to  be 
seen  at  any  time,  and  in  every  place.  T  observed  that,  day 
and  night,  many  of  them  were  loafing  about  the  streets  and 
bar-rooms  of  the  city,  in  their  long  gowns,  reaching  from 
the  chin  to  the  heels.  My  having  so  recently  left  a  land  of 
temperance  societies,  it  impressed  me  with  some  degree  of 


110 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


horror  to  behold  the  heralds  of  the  Cross  taking  their  bever- 
ages, unrestrained  by  public  opinion,  in  Restaurats.  This 
surprise  was  more  especially  felt,  since  I  was  aware  that, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Catholic  clergy,  both  in 
Europe  and  the  United  States,  it  was  that  the  use  of  wines 
and  ardent  spirits  were  not  only  prohibited  to  that  body,  but 
That,  by  their  sober  example,  and  their  eloquent  denuncia- 
tions of  the  habitual  or  other  use  of  alcohol,  they  had  won 
the  approbation  of  the  world,  and  restrained  their  laity  as 
well  as  themselves  from  the  brutal  practices  of  intemper- 
ance. To  my  own  mind,  as  also  in  the  opinion  of  gentle- 
men of  the  Roman  Catholic  profession,  the  clergy  of  Mex- 
ico seemed  to  act  in  many  respects  independent  of  their 
brethren  of  the  United  States  and  the  old  world,  and  ap- 
peared to  conceive  the  performances  of  their  deportment 
harmless,  which  indeed  in  other  countries  would  shock  the 
good  sense  of  propriety  of  both  clergy  and  laity.  Howev- 
er, there  is  some  degree  of  palliating  excuse  for  the  frailties 
of  poor  human  nature  in  Mexico — for  as  the  maxim  is,  that 
"  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,"  its  abundance  there  has 
worked  wonders  in  corrupting  the  habits  and  morals  of  the 
people  of  that  country — and  thus  it  is  that,  through  the  su- 
perstitions of  the  people,  the  reverend  gentlemen  had  impo- 
sed upon  their  credulity,  by  impressing  on  their  minds  that 
contagions  are  atmospherical,  and  not  the  result  of  certain 
habits.  I  have  been  respectably  informed,  however,  that 
tippling,  gambling,  and  lewdness  of  habit,  though  they  would 
appear  lo  a  stranger  to  be  general,  are  not  prevalent  among 
all  the  clergy  of  Mexico — for  perhaps  there  exists  as  much 
piety  in  some  few  of  them,  as  in  any  of  those  of  other  de- 
nominations, and  the  Mexicans,  of  all  other  nations,  are 
peculiarly  subservient  and  constant  in  their  own  way  to 
their  religious  rulers,  and  devoted  to  their  worship. 

From  the  best  information  I  could  obtain,  the  church  has 
a  fee  simple  titled  right  to  one-third  of  all  the  real  es- 
tate in  the  country  of  Mexico,  and,  as  it  is  supposed,  by 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O.  j  j  j 

money  loaned,  secured  upon  mortgage,  have  a  lien  on  an- 
other third.  The  revenues  of  the  church,  derived  from  the 
rents  of  houses  and  lands,  usury  on  money,  profits  from 
monte,  donations  and  clerical  fees,  are  said  to  amount  to 
many  millions,  (the  precise  sum  being  unknown,)  if  it  could 
be  ascertained.  The  granaries  of  the  church  and  the  priests 
husband  half  of  the  crops  in  the  land.  The  government  of 
Mexico  can  with  difficulty  pay  the  interest  of  its  public 
debt,  and  support  itself;  and  whenever  an  instalment  is  to 
be  liquidated,  the  money  is  raised  by  forced  loans.  Query, 
What  becomes  of  the  revenue  of  Mexico  ?  The  govern- 
ment in  its  extremity,  in  1841,  had  all  the  landed  estate  of 
the  church  assessed,  and  it  is  said,  by  some  of  the  priests 
too,  that  nothing  but  the  bribery  by  the  church  of  the  gov- 
ernment officers,  has  prevented  the  property  of  the  church 
from  being  confiscated — it  must  come  !  Spain  has  set  the 
example. 

But  all  this  will  not  avail  in  relieving  the  people,  unless 
the  government  is  administered  by  clean  fingers.  The  re- 
venue, as  at  present  collected,  would  liquidate  the  debt  of 
Mexico  in  two  years — at  least  it  is  so  believed  by  some,  but 
it  falls  short  of  doing  so,  by  the  mismanagement  of  those  in 
power.     What,  then,  becomes  of  the  people's  money  ? 


j  1 2  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  \    ai  E  X  ICO. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Reium  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  Tlie  Tlieati-e.  Four  Theatres  and  one  Plaza  de  Ins  Tor- 
ro3.  Audience  at  tlie  Nu.ivede  Teatro.  The  ladies.  The  I'laza  de  los  ToiTos.  Audi- 
ence. Drawine;  of  a  Loitiry  and  BuU-fi^ht.  Ceinitery  of  Santa  Paula.  Enjjlish  have 
the  right  of  burial.  Tlie  dinetcry.  'I'he  Chapel.  Garden.  Flowers.  Vegetables. 
The  I'ortal  Way.  Orange  and  Lemon  trees.  Uows  of  boxes.  Coffins  shoved  into 
niches.  Gilt  Frames.  Ornamental  Works.  Lamps.  Mound  of  human  bones.  The 
grave-diggers.  Monument  to  Santa  Anna's  leg.  Ueturn  from  Santa  Paula.  The'youth 
John  Hill.  The  College  of  Mines.  Arrangement  of  the  rooms  of  the  C<dlege.  The 
Cabinet  of  Minerals.  Models  of  Machinery.  The  Observatory.  The  Observatory  pro- 
])er.  Baron  Humboldt.  Splendid  View.  Cha])el.  Politeness  of  John  Hill.  Gaming 
room.  Gambling.  Influence  of  Money.  Public  opinion.  Whitewashing  the  houses. 
Feats  of  daring  of  the  Mexicans. 

Having  become  oppressed  by  the  fatigues  of  the  day  at 
Guadaloupe,  I  again  took  a  coach  for  the  city  of  Mexico. 
Notwithstanding  my  desire  for  repose,  the  temptation  of  the 
Nuave  de  Teatro  was  not  to  be  resisted.  It  was  that  night  to 
be  attended  by  the  fashionables  of  the  city,  and  the  diploma- 
tists with  their  families.  I  therefore,  in  company  with  some 
American  acquaintances,  set  out  for  the  theatre. 

There  are  four  theatres  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  one 
Plaza  de  los  Torres.  From  what  I  could  learn,  the  Teatro 
dc  Principal,  besides  the  one  above  named,  was  much  at- 
tended by  the  polite  and  respectable  classes  of  society. 
However,  a  new  theatre  is  about  being  completed,  to  bear 
the  distinguished  name  of  Teatro  de  Santa  Anna,  which, 
when  finished,  is  expected  to  carry  the  world  of  Mexico 
before  it. 

On  arriving  at  the  Nuave  de  Teatro,  I  felt  gratified  at  its 
ample  and  pleasing  construction.  Its  singularity  from  the 
theatres  of  the  United  States  were  scarcely  visible,  and  in 
but  one  respect  worthy  of  remark.  This  was,  that  the  seats 
of  both  boxes  and  pit  had  well  stuffed  cushions  and  backs  to 
them,  which  is  a  comfort  not  to  be  found  in  most  of  the 
theatres  of  the  Union.  Bills  of  the  night's  performance 
were,  as  usual,  handed  to  the  audience,  accompanied  with 


TRAVELSIN   MEXICO.  iio 

a  long  and  flaming  printed  controversy  between  the  Span- 
ish and  Mexican  architects,  who  in  turns  had  been  engaged 
in  the  erection  of  the  Santa  Anna  de  Tcatro. 

But  that  which  chiefly  interested  me,  and  indeed,  as  I  was 
unacquainted  with  the  Spanish  language,  the  grand  in- 
ducement for  me  to  visit  the  theatre,  was  to  witness  the  as- 
sembled beauty  of  the  occasion.  My  seat  was  secured  in 
the  centre  of  the  pit,  and  in  Mexico  it  is  a  choice  place  with 
many  of  the  ladies,  some  of  whom  I  had  the  happiness  to 
see  had  taken  their  places  near  me.  As  I  had  desire's, 
my  arrival  at  the  theatre  was  rather  early,  and  by  that 
means  I  had  the  better  opportunity  of  observing  the  play- 
going  folks  as  they  came  in.  All  having  been  seated,  I  ven- 
tured to  raise  my  eyes  from  the  many  charms  around  me. 
In  the  boxes  to  the  left  were  to  be  seen  some  of  the  Minis- 
ters and  Consuls  from  European  kingdoms,  whose  places 
were  graced  by  the  welcome  sight  of  many  soft  blue  eyes, 
and  fair  complexions.  But  principally  to  the  right  were  to 
be  beheld  the  languishing  and  melting  dark  eyes,  with  long 
eye-lashes,  of  the  delicate  Spanish  brunette  complexions,  in 
rows  sufficient  to  take  away  the  senses  of  any  man — the 
ex-Marchionesses  and  rich  heiresses  of  Mexico — and  as 
they  gracefully  waved  and  flourished  their  beautiful  fans 
from  pit  to  box,  the  diamonds  on  their  small  fingers  were 
not  half  so  bewitching  as  their  own  personal  loveliness.  I 
thus  discovered  from  the  conversation  of  compliments  by 
the  fan,  I  had  not  only  to  learn  the  Spanish  tongue,  but  the 
mystic  language  of  the  fan — for  the  ladies  of  Mexico  are 
quite  Masonic,  and  with  all  my  intercourse  with  the  people 
of  that  country  I  found  that  it  was  as  necessary  to  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  their  gestures,  as  of  their  words,  many 
of  which  are  very  significant.  The  play  seemed  to  go  oflf 
with  the  knowing  ones  very  well — the  name  of  it  I  do  not 
remember.  The  story  of  the  piece,  I  was  informed,  was 
the  history  of  two  lovers  of  the  same  belle,  one  of  whom 
she  coquetted  with,  the  other  she  loved  and  married.     A 


J  24  TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 

dance  and  a  few  songs  wound  up  the  entertainments  of  the 
evening. 

On  the  following  day,  it  being  Sunday,  I  took  occasion  to 
visit  the  Plaza  de  los  Torres,  as  that  would  be  the  only  op- 
portunity I  would  have  of  witnessing  a  bull-fight  in  Mexico; 
and  besides,  I  wish  it  understood,  those  exhibitions  always 
and  only  happen  on  that  day. 

The  Plaza  de  los  Torros  is  of  circular  form,  and  capable 
of  holding,  as  I  was  informed,  ten  thousand  persons ;  but  on 
the  occasion  of  my  visit,  it  did  not  contain  half  that  num- 
ber. Of  such  antiquity  has  the  practice  of  bull-fighting 
been  among  this  people,  that  owing  to  their  aversion  to 
discontinue  old  habits  and  the  innovation  of  improvements, 
it  is  not  surprising  that  a  large  portion  of  the  audience  I 
beheld  at  the  Plaza  de  los  Torros,  was  composed  of  the 
female  sex — of  what  caste  they  were  I  cannot  depose. 

The  evening's  entertainment  commenced  wdth  the  draw- 
ing of  a  lottery,  which  was  conducted  on  a  similar  plan  to 
the  lotteries  in  the  United  States, — placing  the  blanks  and 
prizes  in  one  wheel  and  the  tickets  in  another.  As  the 
prizes  were  drawn,  the  judge  who  presided  over  the  wheels 
of  Fortune,  would,  with  chalk,  mark  the  lucky  number  on 
the  back  of  the  clown,  who  also  having  written  the  figures 
on  a  board  in  his  hand,  would  then  run  around  the  circus 
with  many  grimaces,  reminding  me  of  the  fool  with  his 
prize,  as  pictured  on  the  bills  and  signs  of  lottery  offices  in 
the  Union.  The  prizes  were  all  drawn,  as  I  was  informed, 
by  the  judges  and  the  bull-fighters,  the  highest  of  which  did 
not  exceed  two  doubloons. 

The  ring  having  been  cleared,  expectation  was  visibly 
anxious  on  all,  and  they  were  not  long  kept  in  suspense.  A 
noble  looking  bull  came  bounding  into  the  avenue,  showing 
every  evidence  of  his  good  pluch,  and  so  undaunted  did  he 
appear  to  meet  the  consequences,  w^hatever  they  might  prove 
to  be  on  the  occasion,  that  my  feelings  were  enlisted  in  his 
favour,  and  had  the  action  been  of  that  character,  which  is 


oil 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


Hi 


generally  supposed  by  those  who  have  never  witnessed  a 
scene  of  the  kind,  I  should  unconsciously  have  shouted, 
Hurra  for  the  bull !  thinking  that  he  would  have  had  some 
equal  chance  in  the  combat.  But  not  so:  six  stout  Spaniards 
and  Mexicans  entered  the  lists,  well  mounted  on  horseback, 
armed  with  long  spears.  With  such  odds  and  formidable 
weapons,  a  single  thrust  of  which  could  have  terminated 
the  life  of  the  poor  animal  at  any  moment,  a  cold  chill  was 
thrown  over  the  whole  affair,  for  it  really  appeared  to  be 
nothing  else  than  murder  a  prepe?ise. 

All  the  interest  wdiich  my  imagination  had  enkindled  of 
deeds  of  chivalry,  was  subdued,  and  I  could  only  look  on 
the  whole  spectacle  as  cruel  and  brutal  slaughter, — cruel, 
because  the  bull  was  by  piece-meal  tortured  into  an  agony 
of  pain,  without  having  had  any  chance  for  his  defence.  I 
witnessed  the  death  of  several  brave  bulls.  At  length  a 
poor  horse,  without  a  rider,  was  placed  in  the  arena  ex- 
pressly to  be  killed  by  a  bull,  which  having  been  done  by 
the  infuriated  animal  goring  him  in  the  side,  and  the  horse 
unable  to  move  out  of  the  way,  the  matadors  turned  the  ani- 
mal, which  lay  on  his  wounded  side,  over,  thus  exhibiting 
the  gushing  gore  of  the  agonized  creature,  which,  when 
seen,  was  greeted  with  loud  shouts  from  the  applauding 
audience  of  bravo  iorro !  bravo  cavello ! — bravo  bull !  bravo 
horse !  I  turned  from  the  bloody  and  heartless  scene  with 
contempt  and  loathing  disgust. 

Having  already  seen  much  of  the  city,  with  mingled 
pleasure,  admiration,  and  disappointment,  I  still  felt  desirous 
of  gratifying  my  curiosity  by  further  investigations  of  this 
renowned  place.  Mr.  Green,  to  whom  I  felt  indebted  for 
his  many  attentions,  accompanied  me,  on  the  15th  inst.,  to 
the  cemetery  of  Santa  Paula,  upon  the  suburbs  of  the  west 
side  of  the  city. 

By  the  way,  the  British  government  stipulated  in  an  arti- 
cle of  their  last  treaty  with  Mexico,  that  the  English  citi- 
zens of  the  Republic  should  have  the  rights  of  burial  within 


jjg  TRAVELSIN    MEXICO. 

the  country,  which  article  of  importance  was  neglected  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States  in  their  treaty.  However,  on 
account  of  the  many  grievances  suffered  by  Americans  on 
the  score  of  matrimony,  the  United  States  government  has 
granted  to  her  consuls  in  that  country  the  power  of  per- 
forming marriage  ceremonies,  a  prerogative  which  had  es- 
caped the  treaty  making  power  of  Great  Britain. 

But  to  return.  Having  arrived  at  the  last  sad  home  of 
all  the  living,  I  discovered  that  the  cemetery  contained 
about  eight  acres  of  land,  and  was  enclosed  by  a  wall  of 
sun-burnt  brick,  aboiit  fifteen  feet  high.  The  entrance  to 
this  burying  ground  is  by  a  large  gate  of  handsome  mason- 
ry, which  is  on  the  east  side.  Upon  entering  I  perceived 
that,  in  the  centre  of  the  cemetery,  a  chapel  was  erected,  in 
which  the  last  funeral  ceremonies  were  performed  over  the 
dead.  A  broad  avenue  leading  from  the  gate,  carried  me 
immediately  to  the  door  of  this  chapel.  The  avenue  is 
lined  on  both  sides  with  every  kind  of  flower  and  shrub,  and 
indeed  upon  the  left  hand,  between  the  entrance  and  the 
chapel,  there  is  a  flower  and  vegetable  garden  in  a  high  and 
lovely  state  of  cultivation.  Upon  taking  a  stroll  through 
this  garden,  I  saw,  much  to  my  astonishment,  the  kail  veg- 
etable growing  as  high  as  ten  feet,  and  having  a  stalk  three 
inches  in  diameter.  Cabbages  were  also  large,  being  from 
three  to  four  feet  in  height.  On  inquiring  of  an  American 
gentleman  who  had  been  residing  for  ten  years  in  Mexico, 
if  the  seeds  of  those  vegetables  were  the  same  as  those  in 
the  United  States, — he  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  attri- 
buted their  mammoth  growth  to  the  climate,  and  the  rich- 
ness of  the  soil.  Although  with  pleasure  I  beheld  the  luxu- 
riant growth  of  the  vegetables  and  flowers  in  that  garden, 
yet  it  would  have  been  with  much  regret  that  I  should, 
knowingly,  have  eaten  any  thing  growing  oj^such  a  spot, — 
cultivated  as  they  are  with  the  dust  of  the  dead. 

Having  retraced  my  steps  to  the  entrance  of  the  great  eas- 
tern gate,  my  first  direction  was  to  the  right  hand,  under  the 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 


117 


roof  or  portal  way  that  extended  over  a  broad  thoroughfare. 
Upon  the  left  hand  of  the  walk  was  a  continued  row  of 
painted  boxes,  having  the  coat  of  arms  on  their  sides,  of 
dead  men's  bones  crossed,  in  which  were  growing,  perpe- 
tually, the  green  orange  and  lemon  trees.  The  keeper  of 
the  cemetery  lives  adjoining  its  walls,  and  has  servants  con- 
tinually watering  and  cultivating  the  flowers  and  shrubbery 
in  the  boxes. 

On  the  right  hand  of  this  portal  way  are  situated  the 
niches,  where  the  wealthy  dead  are  deposited,  and  the  ar- 
rangement is  a  most  happy  one.  The  first  basement  (upon 
which  the  apartments  rest)  is  three  feet  high.  There  are 
but  three  rows  of  niches  extending  along  the  sides  of  the 
outer  walls,  one  above  the  other.  After  the  coffin  contain- 
ing the  corpse  is  shoved  into  the  apartment  selected  for  it, 
(in  which  there  seemed  in  fact  to  be  no  choice,  from  the 
irregularity  in  which  they  were  placed,)  the  mouth  of  the 
niche  is  then  closed,  and  tightly  built  up  with  bricks  and 
mortar.  On  the  face  of  the  closed  receptacle,  upon  marble, 
or  painted  and  ornamented  glass,  enclosed  in  handsome,  and 
sometimes  costly  gilt  frames,  is  recorded,  in  golden  letters, 
the  name,  birth,  and  death  of  the  individual  interred  within. 

These  show-glasses,  or  marble  slabs,  generally  have  epi- 
taphs, with  appropriate  engravings  or  paintings,  in  good 
taste.  And,  consistent  with  Catholic  usages,  some  of  these 
burial-places  have  lamps  with  tapers  burning  in  them,  either 
by  the  side  or  over  the  head  of  the  deceased  friend  or  rcla- 
tiv^e.  Others  are  fantastically  decorated,  agreeably  to  the 
age  or  sex  of  the  departed  one,  with  flowers  or  ribands, 
demonstrative  of  the  affection  of  the  living  for  the  dead,  and 
indicative  of  the  felicitous  condition  of  the  weary  who  are 
at  rest.  Some  of  those  ornaments  of  nrtificial  work  are  of 
great  neatnes^nd  elegance. 

A  berth  in  one  of  those  niches  can  only  be  obtained  at 
the  price  of  twenty  dollars,  for  the  term  of  five  years. 
However,  the  rich  sometimes  take  a  lease  for  a  longer  time, 


118 


TRAVELS    IN   3IEXICO. 


or  perhaps  for  ever.  After  the  time  for  which  the  apartment 
has  been  rented  has  expired,  tlie  place  is  then  re-opened, 
and  the  cotTin  containing  the  remains  of  the  deceased  is 
disinterred,  and  the  remnants  of  mortality  it  contains  are 
taken  from  their  confinement  and  thrown  upon  a  large  heap 
of  other  bones  in  one  common  pile.  The  cofFm  then,  mise- 
rahile  dictu,  is  split  into  fragments,  and,  with  other  fuel, 
promiscuously  mixed  together,  is  heaped  in  one  mound 
of  as  many  human  bones  as  the  want  of  lime  may  require. 
The  pile  is  then  burned ;  and  thus  I  perceived,  with  painful 
feelings,  and  many  melancholy  reflections,  that,  ultimately, 
whether  rich  or  poor,  the  ashes  of  the  dead  are  made  ce- 
ment of  for  the  erection  of  other  clay  tenements  for  the 
daily  dying. 

I  observed,  in  one  corner  of  the  grave-yard,  a  vast  mound 
of  human  skeletons,  which  were  not  disposed  of,  as  high  as 
the  wall,  and  at  least  twenty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  bottom. 
This  pile  of  dead  men's  bones  reminded  me  of  the  historical 
account,  as  given  by  the  conquerors,  w^ho  found  in  the  Az- 
tic  city  of  Mexico,  a  Golgothic  pyramid,  containing  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  thousand  human  sculls. 

Upon  the  ornamented  face  of  one  of  the  niches  I  read  the 
name  of  a  Spanish  poet,'  Don  Antonio  Hessesa,  a  native  of 
Cuba,  who  had  been  banished  from  Havana  in  consequence 
of  his  liberal  sentiments.  On  another,  that  of  the  heroic 
Joan  of  Arc,  of  Mexico,  Donna  Maria  Vicario  de  Quitana, 
who  preferred  to  leave  her  convent  and  join  the  standard  of 
her  country,  under  which  she  performed  many  feats  of  va- 
lour.    She  died  on  the  21st  August,  1842. 

The  grave-diggers  are  continually  employed  in  excava- 
ting graves  within  the  common  arena,  whether  they  have  or 
have  not  subjects  for  their  occupancy,  so  that  they  may  be 
ready  for  some  one  or  more  departed  fellow-mortals.  In- 
deed it  is  but  little  trouble  in  that  cemetery,  to  shovel  up  the 
black  and  greasy  mould  to  make  a  grave,  which  is  only 


TRAVELS    IN  MEXICO. 


119 


three  feet  deep,  and  which  is  filled  up  with  water  as  soon  as 
dug,  till  it  shall  be  provided  with  a  tenant  of  human  clay. 

But  what  diverted  my  respect  from  the  consecrated  place 
in  a  considerable  manner,  and  almost  annihilated  the  effect 
of  the  useful  lessons  which  the  cemetery  had  impressed  upon 
my  mind,  of  human  life  and  its  end,  was  the  beholding  the 
pride  and  pageantry  of  a  monument,  surmounted  with  the 
arms  and  the  flag  of  Mexico  floating  from  its  corners,  over 
the  mortal  remains  of  the  left  leg  of  the  immortal  Dictator, 
Santa  Anna.  The  hero  must  excuse  me,  for  since  his  leg 
has  become  public  property,  it  cannot  escape  comment,  and 
that  too  will  be  made,  with  blame  or  praise,  as  freely  as  his 
own  deeds,  just  as  his  person  will  be  eulogized  after  he  him- 
self shall  have  descended  to  the  tomb.  It  was  a  bold  stretch 
of  your  leg.  General,  that  you  made  of  it  from  Vera  Cruz 
to  the  city  of  Mexico. 

Santa  Anna  having  become  disgraced  in  the  eyes  of  his 
countrymen,  and  of  the  world,  on  account  of  his  Texian 
campaign,  had  retired  to  his  farm  of  Mango  de  Clavo,  to 
spend  the  remnant  of  his  days  in  mortification.  But  the 
good  fortune  of  the  French  invasion,  once  more  put  the 
warrior  into  his  saddle,  at  the  head  of  the  Mexican  army, 
in  the  field  before  Vera  Cruz.  In  a  ffallant  charge  made 
upon  the  enemy,  he  gloriously  retrieved  his  character  as  a 
brave  man,  but  at  the  expense  of  losing  his  left  leg  below 
the  knee,  by  a  cannister  shot.  The  w^ily  General  at  once 
determined  to  hobble  in  some  way  to  the  climax  of  prefer- 
ment, on  the  dismembered  limb.  By  a  master  stroke  of 
genius  he,  knowing  how  to  please  his  countrymen  and  gain 
power,  sent  his  fallen  leg  to  his  fellow  citizens  in  the  city 
of  Mexico,  accompanied  by  an  eloquent  letter,  breathing 
patriotism.  The  stratagem  succeeded,  for  the  shouts 
and  rejoicings  of  this  deluded  people  as  they  in  triumph 
thronged  in  procession  through  the  streets,  proclaimed  an  ill 
omen  to  the  good  Bustamente,  warning  him  of  the  end  of 


220  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

his  administration,  and  sounding  the  funeral  knell  of  liberty, 
and  peace  at  home. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  Mexicans  was  such,  that  they  had 
hardly  finished  the  inglorious  monument,  before  the  usurper, 
at  the  head  of  his  army,  had  made  himself  master  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  become  the  Dictator  of  the  people. 

One  of  the  flag-staffs  of  the  monument  was  broken  down, 
perhaps  by  some  one  of  his  countrymen  more  daring  than 
the  rest,  to  retrieve  the  honour  of  his  country's  flag,  and 
show  his  opposition  to  the  highest  authority  upon  earth. 

It  would  have  been  believed  that  the  critics  of  the  civ- 
ilized world  had  debarred  any  people,  not  excepting  the 
Mexicans,  from  displaying  in  future  the  ostentation  as  ex- 
hibited upon  the  field  of  Waterloo,  in  erecting  an  obelisk 
over  the  fallen  limb  of  the  Marquis  of  Anglesea,  an  ac- 
knowledged soldier,  and  a  hio;h-minded  warrior.  It  is  true 
that  while  Arnold  the  traitor  was  in  London,  he  inquired  of 
an  American — what  the  people  of  the  United  States  would 
do  with  him,  if  he  should  return  to  his  home  ?  The  Ame- 
rican replied,  that  the  leg  in  which  he  had  received  an  hon- 
ourable wound,  in  the  cause  of  liberty  and  independence, 
would  be  cut  from  his  body  and  buried  w'ith  all  military 
honours  ;  but  that  his  body  would  be  hung  between  heaven 
and  earth,  as  a  traitor  to  his  country. 

True  it  is,  that  Santa  Anna  deserves  the  gratitude  of  his 
countrymen  for  the  loss  of  his  blood  and  the  sacrifice  of  his 
limb,  in  defence  of  Mexico  ;  yet  it  must  be  hoped  that  he 
never  may  meet  the  fate  of  Arnold  had  he  returned  to  the 
United  States.  It  is  related  of  the  Mexican  hero,  that  a 
boot  and  shoe-maker  of  the  capital  manufactured  a  wooden 
leg,  upon  which  he  was  enabled  to  have  a  good  substitute 
for  the  departed  and  monumental  limb ;  to  reward  him  for 
which,  the  Dictator  commissioned  him  a  Colonel  of  a  regi- 
ment, but  with  the  express  understanding  that  the  boot-ma- 
ker should  manufacture  his  boots  and  lecjs  as  long  as  he 
lived. 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO.  |2| 

On  my  return  from  Santa  Paula,  I  was  much  pleased  with 
the  opportunity  that  presented  itself  of  visiting  the  College 
of  Mines.  Upon  our  arrival  at  the  building,  we  found  it  to 
be  of  large  dimensions,  and  partaking  more  of  the  appear- 
ance of  a  modern  edifice  than  any  other  in  the  city  which 
I  had  seen.  Here  we  fortunately  met  with  the  Texian 
youth,  Mr.  John  Hill. 

This  interesting  youth,  born  of  American  parents,  was 
the  youngest  of  two  other  brothers,  who  were  taken  prison- 
ers at  the  assault  of  Mier,  and  brought  to  the  city  of  Mexi- 
co. Young  as  he  was  he  had  the  bravery,  at  the  early  age 
of  twelve  years,  to  fight  so  desperately  at  the  side  of  his 
father,  as,  to  the  knowledge  of  others,  to  kill  fourteen  of  the 
enemy — and,  even  after  his  father  had  surrendered,  the  in- 
trepid boy  maintained  the  conflict  until  his  gun  was  forcibly 
taken  from  him. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  prisoners  at  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment, in  consequence  of  the  tender  years  of  John,  and  the 
admiration  the  Mexicans  had  for  so  brave  a  boy,  he  was 
granted  the  freedom  of  going  at  random  in  the  city,  and 
not  kept  in  strict  confinement  with  his  father  and  brothers. 
Having  thus  possession  of  his  liberty,  he  made  application 
to  Gen.  Thompson,  requesting  him  to  appear  in  behalf  of 
his  imprisoned  relatives,  in  the  presence  of  the  Dictator. 
The  General,  pleased  with  the  manly  youth,  advised  him  to 
make  his  petition  himself,  in  person,  to  the  supreme  author- 
ity, for  the  liberty  of  his  father  and  brothers.  Through  his 
agency  an  interview  was  obtained  for  this  purpose,  with 
Santa  Anna,  and  Master  John  proving  to  have  a  sufficiency 
of  the  Spanish  language  to  plead  his  own  cause,  he  did  so 
with  so  much  smartness,  that  the  Dictator  not  only  consent- 
ed to  set  his  father  and  brothers  at  libert}^,  but  informed  the 
hero  and  young  solicitor  that  he  would  adopt  him  as  his 
own  son,  give  him  an  education  in  the  best  schools  of  the 
Republic,  and  when  this  was  completed  he  should  have  his 
choice  of  a  profession. 


J22  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

Younfr  Hill  consented  to  the  kind  and  liberal  offer  of  San- 
ta  Anna,  and  his  father  having  received  his  liberty,  gave  his 
approbation  to  the  agreement  of  his  son  with  the  kind  Dic- 
tator. Thus  the  heroic  little  boy  found  in  the  greatest  ene- 
my of  Texas,  the  adopted  country  of  his  father,  his  best 
friend,  and  one  to  whom  he  could  feel  grateful  all  his  days. 
He  was,  at  the  time  I  saw  him,  a  student  in  the  College  of 
Mines,  the  principal  institution  of  learning  in  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Hill  was  glad  to  meet  with  us,  being  Americans,  and 
promptly  proffered  his  services  to  show  us  the  College.  He 
made  application  to  his  guardian.  General  Tornel,  Minister 
of  War  and  of  the  Navy,  a  professor  in  the  Institution  also, 
for  the  keys,  (as  it  being  then  vacation  time,  the  apartments 
were  locked,)  which  he  obtained,  and  I  could  not  but  re- 
mark the  pleasure  the  young  man  took  in  showing  us  every 
thing  worthy  of  notice.  It  was  with  pain  to  us,  and  some 
confusion  to  himself,  as  he  was  conducting  us  from 
room  to  room,  it  was  observable  that  he  was  forgetting  his 
native  tongue,  by  being  often  very  much  in  want  of  English 
words  to  express  himself.  On  such  occasions,  he  would 
supply  the  deficiency  by  the  use  of  Spanish,  and  individuals 
have  assured  me,  that  whenever  the  young  acquire  a  new 
language  in  a  foreign  country,  they  will  invariably  lose  their 
own  native  one. 

After  he  had  conducted  us  through  the  different  rooms  of 
the  institution,  all  of  which  were  to  be  admired,  although 
upon  a  different  arrangement  from  the  manner  in  which 
Colleges  are  usually  conducted  in  the  United  States,  as  each 
class  had  to  attend  its  particular  professor  in  their  several 
separate  apartments,  there  to  study  their  recitations,  and 
receive  instruction  from  him  in  person ;  this  plan  pre- 
vented the  student  from  idling  his  time  away  in  his  own 
room. 

He  showed  us  into  the  room  containing  the  cabinet  of 
minerals.  The  collection  was  more  numerous  than  any  I 
had  before  seen,  and  would  have  been  a  rich  treat,  for  any 


TRAVELS    IN  MEXICO.  123 

geologist  to  have  examined — for  there  were  varieties  of  spe- 
cimens of  all  the  mineral  kingdom,  but  more  abundantly  of 
silver  and  gold.  This  apartment  also  contained  many  mo- 
dels of  machinery,  as  used  in  the  mines  of  Mexico. 

He  likewise  conducted  us  up  to  the  Observatory.  In  the 
first  apartment  of  this  there  is  a  spacious  room,  containing 
two  large  telescopes,  besides  a  variety  of  other  astronomi- 
cal instruments  for  observations.  From  that  room  we  as- 
cended up  to  the  Observatory  proper,  and  it  was  w^ith  a  de- 
gree of  pleasure  and  pride  that  my  footsteps  were  planted 
upon  the  same  platform  where  Baron  Humboldt  stood,  when 
taking  his  astronomical  observations  of  Mexico.  Like  him 
I  comprehended  in  the  same  view  the  two  high  volcanic 
peaks  of  Popocatepetl  and  Irtacuhuatl,  lifting  their  gray 
iieads  to  heaven ;  wdiile  the  distant  Orizava,  mantled  with 
snow,  and  resplendent  with  a  halo  of  light  crowning  its 
lofty  summit  was  seen,  and  then  the  nearer  prospect  of  por- 
phyritic  rock  mountains,  stretching  their  natural  defences 
around  the  lovely  plain  of  Mexico :  while  in  perspective 
the  distant  lakes  stretched  their  arms  like  seas,  as  the  havens 
of  Montezeuma's  city.  The  temple  of  Guadaloupe  looked 
like  a  splendid  monument  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and 
the  puebla  of  Tacaba  appeared  to  be  only  the  country  re- 
sidence of  a  prince.  The  broad  city  of  Mexico  was  spread 
at  my  feet.  The  golden  sun  of  the  National  Palace  dazzled 
before  my  eyes,  as  also  the  bright  porcelain  domes  of  the 
churches.  I  had  then,  for  the  first  time,  an  opportunity  of 
beholding  distinctly  the  flower-gardens  upon  the  flat  roofs 
of  the  houses,  the  sight  of  which  was  a  lovely  one  for  the 
admirers  of  both  vine  and  blossom.  While  standing  upon 
this  most  elevated  place,  above  all  the  other  edifices,  I  was 
reminded  of  Cortes,  when  he  was  taken  by  the  hand,  and  led 
by  Montezeuma  to  the  top  of  the  temple  of  Teocalli,  where 
was  pointed  out  to  the  conqueror  the  locations  of  the  place, 
and,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Prescott,  "  below  them  lay  the 
city,  spread  out  like  a  map,  with  its  streets  and  canals  inter- 


124  TR  A  VELSIN    MEXICO. 

sec  ting  each  other  at  right  angles,  its  terraced  roofs  bloom- 
ing like  so  many  parterres  of  flowers.  Every  place  seemed 
alive  with  business  and  bustle — canoes  were  glancing  up  and 
down  the  canals — the  streets  were  crowded  with  people,  in 
their  gay  and  picturesque  costumes — while  fi'om  the  mar- 
ket-place, which  they  had  so  lately  left,  a  confused  hum  of 
many  sounds  and  voices  rose  up  in  the  air." 

Our  young  friend  conducted  us  down  from  the  Observa- 
tory, and  I  was  pained  to  perceive,  as  he  was  unlocking  the 
door  of  the  chapel,  that  he  had  forgotten  the  English  terms 
by  which  such  places  are  denominated.  With  a  blush,  he 
said  that  he  was  about  to  show  us  the  room  where  the  stu- 
dents knelt ;  and  although  he  felt  with  some  confusion  that 
he  was  losing  his  native  tongue,  yet  he  had  not  forgotten 
his  manners.  It  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  behold  in  a  youth 
so  tender  in  years,  as  he  opened  the  door  of  the  chapel, 
with  reverence  and  respect  for  the  holy  place,  take  off  his 
hat,  before  entering  the  consecrated  prayer-room.  He  seem- 
ed to  take  a  pleasure  in  informing  us  where  the  students 
knelt,  and  described  the  watchfulness  of  the  old  chaplain 
that  they  should  perform  their  devotions  wath  decorum. 

From  the  chapel  we  were  shown  into  another  part  of  the 
building,  which  contained  a  billiard-table,  dominoes,  chess, 
backgammon  and  draught-boards.  This  room  is  devoted  to 
the  recreation  and  amusement  of  the  students,  during  vaca- 
tion hours.  And,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  ha- 
bits of  the  Mexicans,  and  the  location  of  the  College,  I 
could  not  discover  the  impropriety  of  the  apartment,  know- 
ing, as  I  do,  that  it  is  a  part  of  the  accomplishment  of  a 
Spanish  gentleman  to  be  skilled  in  the  art  of  these  games. 
Besides  it  was  obvious  that  it  was  better  for  the  student 
thus  innocently  to  spend  his  time,  in  a  mental  and  bodily 
exercise,  instead  of  loitering  about  the  streets,  perhaps  in 
the  dissipation  of  a  large  and  populous  city. 

If  not  permitted  to  leave  the  college  walls  during  inter- 
vals, he  surely  should  have  some  agreeable  mode  to  while 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  J25 

away  the  allotted  moments  for  recreation.  Gambling  is 
prohibited  by  the  express  regulations  of  the  institution,  and 
thus  the  youth  is  taught  the  scientific  usefulness  of  those 
games,  at  the  same  time  he  learns  to  despise  the  acquisition 
of  gain  by  them.  It  should  be  remembered  that,  in  those 
sunny  regions,  the  polished  Spanish  gentleman  prefers  rath- 
er to  indulge  himself  in  the  moderate  exercise  of  a  game  of 
billiards,  or  else  to  seat  himself  in  one  of  his  rooms  with 
marble  iloors,  than  to  fatigue  himself  under  the  burning  sun 
of  that  climate.  I  do  not  pretend  to  defend  the  gaming 
room  of  this  college,  upon  the  system  of  morals  and  reli- 
gion of  the  Protestant  creeds  of  faith — for  while  the  re- 
formers are  mortified  at  not  correcting  that,  and  other  evils 
of  wealthy  society,  it  should  be  remembered  that  in  Mexi- 
co the  vice  of  gambling  is  tolerated  by  the  church.  Hence 
it  is  that  what  suits  some  people  is  very  improper  in  others 
— for,  as  already  remarked,  as  it  regards  the  habits  of  the 
Mexicans,  it  would  appear  that  a  knowledge  of  the  science 
of  games  is  an  accomplishment,  very  important;  as  there  is 
in  every  public,  as  well  as  in  most  of  the  houses  of  the 
wealthy,  a  bilhard  and  gaming-room,  which  is  always 
crowded,  and  not  to  play  is  to  render  yourself  unfit  for  polite 
society. 

Thus  it  is  perceived  that,  in  consequence  of  the  indolent 
habits  of  the  Mexicans,  growing  out  of  the  abundance  of 
nature,  and  their  few  wants,  together  with  the  warmth  of 
their  climate,  they  have  necessarily  been  taught  to  amuse 
themselves,  while  they  thereby  escape  the  heat  of  the  sun. 
And  while,  in  a  cold  climate,  athletic  exercises  in  the  open 
air  would  be  more  improving  to  bodily  health  and  strength, 
and  at  the  same  time  less  demoralizing,  the  prevalence  of 
gambling  and  playing  at  games  is  predominant  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people  of  Mexico,  in  a  degree  inimical  to  the 
individual  prosperity  of  their  species. 

I  was  informed  that  Santa  Anna  was  in  the  habit  of  giv- 
ing feasts  expressly  for  the  dissolute.     But  every  thing  the 


120 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


Dictator  docs,  although  it  may  be  law,  is  not  morality  or 
religion.  The  practice  of  gambling  in  Mexico  is  so  respec- 
table, that  he  who  is  able  to  establish  himself  in  its  pursuit, 
by  keeping  a  monte-bank,  rather  ascends  than  declines  in 
public  estimation.  This  has  its  origin  in  the  fact  that  the 
prosperity,  or  presumed  wealth  of  an  individual,  stamps  his 
caste  in  society,  no  matter  how  his  riches  are  obtained, 
whether  by  fair  or  foul  means,  yet  he  is  privileged  accord- 
ing to  the  amount  of  his  store.  And  such  must  always  be 
the  case,  where,  in  the  state  of  social  compact,  in  any  com- 
munity, merited  virtues  and  humble  honesty,  though  poor, 
are  disregarded,  and  which  when  beheld  by  those  who 
should  be  the  protectors  of  morals  and  good  order,  who  in- 
stead of  fostering,  rather  cast  the  chilling  blast  of  silent  ne- 
glect over  them,  thus  affording  a  poor  encouragement  to 
virtuous  deeds.  Public  opinion,  in  some  instances,  in  every 
country,  has  done  some  good ;  but,  as  it  regards  the  "  al- 
mighty dollar,"  it  has  most  egregiously  sinned  against  itself 
by  rather  corrupting  than  improving  the  moral  condition  of 
society. 

There  are  two  colleges  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  one 
university.  If  there  were  more  I  did  not  learn  their  names 
or  their  locations. 

By  a  decree  of  the  government,  the  houses  of  the  city  arc 
all  to  be  painted  or  white-washed  on  the  outside,  once  in 
every  twelve  months.  This  operation,  was  being  performed 
while  I  was  in  the  place,  and  I  could  not  help  observing,  on 
my  return  from  the  College  of  Mines  to  the  Gran  Sociadad, 
the  marked  difference,  in  the  improvement  which  it  made 
in  tiic  appearance  of  the  houses.  The  city,  had  on  my  first 
arrival,  a  dirty  and  dull  aspect — but  no  sooner  had  the  pain- 
ter and  white-washer  began  to  liourish  their  brushes,  than 
the  capital,  like  a  young  girl  dressed  for  a  ball,  put  on  a 
more  cheerful  and  gay  appearance.  I  was  often  astonished 
at  the  feats  of  agility  and  strength,  as  also  of  daring,  which 
the  Mexicans  had  in  asccndincr  and  descendinii  the  high 


TRAVELS   IN    MEXICO. 


127 


walls  of  their  buildings,  by  the  aid  of  a  petre,  a  rope  made 
of  the  maguey  plant. 

On  one  occasion,  I  saw  a  man  who  had  been  engaged  in 
painting  the  walls  of  a  convent,  ascend  a  single  rope,  hand 
over  hand,  about  fifty  feet.  When  he  had  reached  the  cor- 
nice of  the  upper  portico,  another  Mexican  who  was  stand- 
ing awaiting  his  arrival,  with  one  hand  hold  of  the  bannis- 
ters, reached  down,  and  with  the  other  grasped  the  man  on 
the  rope  under  the  arms,  and  lifted  him  with  ease  on  to  the 
cornice  of  the  portico.  Crowds  of  people  would  stop  to 
witness  those  feats,  and  oftentimes  the  air  would  be  rent 
with  shouts,  when  some  exploit  more  adventurous  than 
others  was  performed.  The  longest  ladders  cannot  reach 
half  way  to  the  top  of  many  of  the  buildings,  and  the  pain- 
ters are  often  seen  suspended  at  the  end  of  ropes,  in  baskets 
made  for  the  purpose,  and  let  down  by  this  meaiis  over  the 
top  of  the  walls.  They  occasionally  fall  and  lose  their  lives, 
as  was  the  case,  in  ode  instance,  from  a  house  opposite  my 
lodgings.  "* 

In  passing  through  a  street  of  the  city,  I  observed  a  win- 
dow filled  with  engravings.  I  paused  for  a  moment  to  examine 
them,  and  to  my  surprise  discovered  that  they  were  unfilled 
bank  bills ;  and,  upon  minuter  inspection,  perceived  that 
notes  of  the  principal  banks  of  most  of  the  States  of  the 
Union,  were  thus  exhibited  to  public  view  in  the  window  of 
a  Mexican  engraver — the  Brandon  notes  not  excepted- 
Bankers  should  look  to  it,  lest  their  vaults  may  be  filled  with 
paper  inq^ead  of  specie  from  Mexico. 


J28  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Ramble  in  the  Alemade.  Circles,  fountains  and  statues.  Names  of  Hidalgo  and  Iturbide. 
Tlie  carriages,  walks  and  crowds  of  ladies  with  their  fans.  The  Pasio.  Fountains  of 
water.  Statues  of  the  Azetic  gods.  Carriages  passing  up  and  down.  The  Cavaliers. 
The  management  and  trappings  of  the  horses.  A  walk  without  the  walls  of  the  city. 
P.eautifdl  country  scenes.  Christmas-day  in  Mexico.  Grand  mass  celebrated  at  the 
cathedral.  Crowds  of  people  in  the  Plaza.  Merchandise  of  the  hucksters.  Confused 
scene.  Brokers.  Night.  Pine  torches.  Intoxication  by  drinking  pulque.  Narrow 
escape.  The  cathedral  crowded.  Grand  mass.  Raising  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Splendid 
view  of  the  richness  of  the  cathedral.  Reflections.  The  services  of  the  cathedral  last 
all  night.  Mexican  ladies.  Premature  debility.  Paris  fashions.  The  social  habits  of 
the  ladies.  Courtship  by  letters.  Gentlemen  in  disguise.  Ostentation  at  the  theatre 
and  pasio.  An  English  lady.  Rebozoes.  Los  ire.  Festivities  of  Christmas-day. 
The  dictator,  pro  tem.,  and  suite.  Yankee  driver.  The  big  show.  Plaza  de  los  Tor- 
res. Human  affairs.  Kews  of  a  British  fleet.  Mr.  Doil,  the  British  charge  de  affaires. 
Suspended  relations  of  Uie  two  powers.     False  alarm.     British  jack  on  the  plaza. 

My  morning's  excursion  having  been  made  to  Santa 
Paula,  I  determined  that  my  evening's  enjoyment  sliould  be 
devoted  to  a  ramble  over  the  al^n^<i,  a  promenade  or 
park,  and  along  the  pas*©,  a  ride,  of  the  city  of  Mexico. 

These  places  are  the  morning's  and  evening's  resorts  for 
the  recreation  of  all  the  wealthy;  and  here  are  to  be  seen 
the  pride  and  fashion  of  the  city,  whether  native  or  foreign. 

The  alam«da  is  within  the  precincts  of  the  city,  al- 
though on  its  margin.  It  is  enclosed  by  a  wall,  and  con- 
tains about  twelve  acres  of  land.  Within,  it  is  thickly 
grown  with  elm  and  other  trees.  Between  the  wood  and 
the  wall  around  it  is  a  carriage-way,  and  rows  of  seats  for 
pedestrians,  from  corner  to  corner.  The  whole  ig  divided 
into  well-flagged  walks,  and,  at  suitable  distances,  are  large 
circles,  having  fountains  of  water  spouting  high  in  the  air. 
In  the  centre  is  the  largest  of  those  circles,  having  a  statue 
of  the  Goddess  of  Liberty,  in  gold  gilt,  mounted  on  a  pe- 
destal, w'ith  two  gilded  lions  crouching  at  her  feet,  while 
spouts  of  water  are  issuing  from  their  mouths.  On  the  sides 
of  the  pedestal  hang  two  flags,  on  which  appear,  separately, 
the  names  of  Hidalgo,  who  gave  birth  to  the  Mexican  revo- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  J29 

lution,  (Sept.  IG,  1810,)  and  of  Iturbidc.  Thus,  in  singular 
contrast,  arc  exposed  from  the  statue  of  the  goddess,  the 
name  of  the  first  revolutionary  and  republican  patriot  of 
Mexico,  and  that  of  its  emperor. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  at  the  alqmfgdc^  the  carriage-way 
was  thronged  with  vehicles,  mostly  having  ladies  seated  in 
them.  Notwithstanding  their  loveliness  was  attractive,  and 
the  twirling  of  the  fans  was  ominous  of  good  tidings  to  a 
lover,  or  of  compliment  to  an  acquaintance ;  yet  it  could 
not  but  appear  awkward,  if  not  unnatural,  to  behold  a  young 
lady  take  from  her  bag  a  flint  and  steel,  and,  by  the  friction 
of  a  blow  or  two,  ignite  a  piece  of  spunk,  and,  having 
lighted  her  cigarriio,  (segar,)  puff  volumes  of  smoke  from 
her  nostrils  and  from  between  her  beautiful  lips.  The  car- 
riages, after  passing  round  the  alemade  a  few  times,  would 
drive  out  of  the  southern  gateway,  and  continue  their  jour- 
ney to  the  pas^.  Crowds  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  filled 
the  walks  and  the  seats  of  the  circles  of  the  alemade ;  and 
I  was  informed  that,  on  such  occasions,  letters  of  love  af- 
fairs were  freely  exchanged  between  tliQ  sexes. 

Being  satisfied  with  my  view  of  the  rural  and  delightful 
alemade,  I  followed  the  direction  of  the  carriages  to  the 
pasio.  This  is  on  the  road  to  the  pueblo  of  Tacaba.  The 
entrance  to  it  is  by  a  gate-way,  having  in  its  centre  a  tall 
fountain  spouting  high  the  water.  It  is  surmounted  with  a 
statue,  resembling  more  the  description  of  the  Aztec  war- 
god  than  that  of  any  other  image.  There  are  several  other 
fountains  to  cool  the  evening  breeze. 

The  pasio  is  about  one  mile  in  length,  and  the  coaches, 
after  passing  up  and  down  the  ways  a  few  times,  would  halt 
at  one  side,  while  others,  which  had  just  arrived,  would 
drive  backwards  and  forwards  before  them,  as  if  in  review. 
By  this  arrangement  any  one  individual  would  have  an  op- 
portunity of  beholding  all  other  visiters,  who  had  made  it 
their  business  to  see  and  be  seen.  It  was  amusing  to  be- 
hold the  cavaliers,  mounted,  with  all  the  paraphernalia  of 
9 


■j  QQ  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O . 

the  costly  trappings  of  their  animals,  with  whip  and  Spanish 
spurs,  galloping  up  and  down  the  pasio,  as  if  they  were  try- 
ing the  speed  of  their  horses,  or  escaping  from  the  ladrones ; 
while  others,  more  desirous  of  attracting  attention,  would, 
by  a  pressure  on  the  rein  of  their  bridles,  cause  their  horses 
to  raise  their  feet  high  and  quick,  as  if  dancing  to  the  tune 
of  Nancy  Dawson ;  and  then,  when  a  fair  eye  is  caught, 
make  the  animal  plunge  as  if  he  had  a  ten-foot  wall  to  leap. 
My  walk  to  the  alemade  and  pasio  afforded  me,  not  only 
much  satisfaction  at  beholding  the  customs  of  the  people  of 
Mexico,  but  I  also  enjoyed  a  degree  of  pleasure  from  hav- 
ing been  relieved  from  the  heat  and  confinement  of  the  city. 
To  go  thus  outside  the  walls,  and  breathe  the  pure  country 
air,  with  an  animated  and  invigorated  system,  makes  the 
imagination  glow  with  delight.     Such  is  the  lovehness  of 
the  landscape  scenery  of  lake,  plain  and  mountain ;  while 
the  pueblo  of  Tacaba,  at  a  distance,  seems  like  a  city  on 
a  hill ;  and  the  royal  retreat  of  Chapultepec,  on  ChapuUe- 
puc  monte,  Grasshopper's  hill,  is  beheld  through  the  lofty 
cypresses  of  centuries  in  growth,  seated  on  the  side  of  a 
mountain,  looking  like  a  palace  of  fairy  enchantment.  Such 
a  prospect  makes  the  soul  swell  with  emotion,  and  with  a 
buoyancy  of  spirit ;  the  scenes  of  nature  are  endeared,  and 
existence  rendered  of  more  value  to  the  possessor. 

As  the  evening  was  drawing  to  a  close  I  was  admonish- 
ed, on  my  way  to  the  pasio,  by  a  murdered  corpse,  which 
was  exposed,  for  the  recognition  of  friends,  at  the  celebrated 
prison  of  the  Acordada,  to  return  to  the  city. 

My  Christmas-day  was  spent  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  and, 
during  all  the  day  of  the  twenty-fourth,  my  ears  were  con- 
stantly saluted  by  the  querieud  a  dar,  or  the  wishing  to 
ring  of  the  bells,  to  inform  the  good  people,  that  the  great 
mass  was  that  night  to  be  celebrated  at  the  cathedral.  On 
the  evening  of  that  day  I  took  a  walk  to  the  plaza,  to  wit- 
ness the  gathering  of  the  people  at  that  place.  Great  crowds 
had  assembled,  from  distances  in  the  country,  of  men,  wo- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jgj 

men  and  children,  who  had  spread  upon  the  pavements  their 
fruits,  and  goods  of  all  kinds,  intending  to  reside  upon  the 
spot  during  all  the  Christmas  holidays.  Under  the  corri- 
dors of  the  private  buildings,  aroimd  the  plaza,  were  crowds 
of  citizens,  examining  their  trinkets  and  other  commodities, 
brought  by  the  hucksters  to  market.  I  observed  that  many 
were  the  dollars  expended  in  worthless  things,  to  be  used  as 
Christmas  compUments.  These  holiday  merchants  had  not 
opened  their  goods  for  a  temporary  residence  of  a  few 
hours,  but  had  located  themselves  for  day  and  night,  as  each 
individual  had  prepared  him  or  herself  with  a  petate,  mat, 
upon  which  to  slumber  when  wearied. 

The  scene  was  truly  most  confused  and  lively  ;  more  so 
than  any  I  had  ever  beheld ;  and  I,  for  the  time,  began  to 
think  that  there  was  some  enterprise  amongst  the  Mexicans ; 
for  it  was  the  only  sight  I  had  discovered  like  business  since 
I  had  been  in  the  country. 

By  the  way,  it  would  not  be  improper  here  to  remark, 
that  all  business,  of  merchandise  or  otherwise,  is  done  in 
Mexico,  through  the  corredor,  a  broker.  If  an  individual 
wishes  to  purchase  a  lot  of  goods,  he  employs  a  broker  to 
transact  the  affair  for  him ;  or  if  any  other  bargains  are  to 
be  made,  the  same  agency  is  used.  The  vender,  and  the 
actual  vendee,  have  no  occasion  to  know  one  another,  for 
the  broker  is  supposed  to  keep  in  his  bosom  the  name  of  the 
individual  for  whose  benefit  the  purchase  is  made.  In  this 
manner  much  chicanery  is  used  by  these  agents,  who  are 
constantly  seen  pimping  and  prying  into  every  man's  effects, 
without  knowing  who  is  in  want  of  his  goods  or  property. 
The  brokers  comprise  a  large  class  of  the  community,  and 
are  ever  ready  to  buy  or  sell  any  commodity.  They  must, 
iiowever,  be  watched,  for  they  are  great  rogues. 

At  night,  it  being  Christmas-eve,  I  again  visited  the  plaza, 
in  company  with  two  of  m.y  American  acquaintances.  The 
scene  was  much  heightened,  in  its  interesting  confusion, 
from  that  beheld  during  the  day.    The  multitude  of  holiday 


1 32  TRAVELS     IN     MEXICO. 

merchants,  who  thronged  the  side-walks,  were  now  scatter- 
ed all  over  the  plaza,  seated  on  their  mats  in  Indian  fashion, 
and  only  discoverable  through  the  dark  vohimes  of  smoke 
that  circled  upwards  from  the  pine  torches;  and,  as  the 
crowd  of  citizen  spectators  passed  to  and  fro,  and  the 
guards  of  soldiers,  with  their  bright  weapons  gleaming 
through  the  smoke  of  the  torch-light,  marched  along,  the 
whole  formed  a  scene  more  picturesque  than  any  encamp- 
ment of  the  kind  I  ever  beheld. 

But,  as  the  hour  grew  late,  the  interest  I  had  before 
taken  was  diminished,  by  discovering  that  many  of  both 
sexes  were  intoxicated  by  drinking  pulque,  the  essence  of 
maguey,  a  cheap  liquid,  used  mostly  by  the  lazarones. 

It  happened  that,  just  as  we  were  making  up  our  minds 
to  leave  the  plaza,  it  was  my  lot  to  have  a  serious  warning 
to  depart  from  thence.  As  I  was  passing  along,  a  few  steps 
in  front  of  my  friends,  a  supposed  intoxicated  Mexican 
rushed  from  a  crowd  near  me,  and,  with  a  long  knife  in  his 
hand,  exclaimed  "  Que  imjeferarmlos  estrangeros P'  Death  to 
all  strangers  !  I  did  not  know  what  the  wretch  said ;  but, 
from  my  friends  calling  to  me,  and  from  a  scuffle  which  en- 
sued between  the  assassin  and  his  countrymen,  I  quickly 
learned  that  the  Mexican  designed  to  attack  us.  We  then 
visited  the  cathedral,  to  witness  the  ceremonies  of  the  night. 

On  my  entering  this  splendid  cathedral,  although  it  was 
at  a  late  hour,  the  vast  building  then  contained  one  thou- 
sand and  upwards,  of  worshippers.  Thescwere  composed 
of  all  castes  and  characters  of  both  sexes.  The  place,  in- 
deed, appeared  to  be  a  solemn  one  to  me ;  and  who  could 
look  with  indifference  or  disrespect  over  so  vast  a  multi- 
tude, all  kneeling  in  adoration  of  that  being  whom  I,  from 
my  first  impressions,  was  taught  to  reverence.  And,  as  the 
sacred  chant  and  solemn  peal  of  the  organ  ascended  the 
high  vaults  of  the  cathedral,  my  thoughts,  for  the  time,  were 
turned  within,  and  my  secret  aspirations  were  involuntarily 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  J33 

raised  to  Him  who  had  sustained  my  being  at  home,  and  in 
the  midst  of  people  of  a  strange  land. 

I  have  always  had  a  respect  for  those  who  worshipped 
God  in  any  form ;  and,  it  is  true,  that  I  have  never  beheld 
the  great  Maker  of  the  universe  worshipped  in  so  magnifi- 
cent a  manner.  Notwithstanding  it  was  contrary,  agreea- 
bly to  my  education,  to  the  simplicity  of  that  worship  re- 
quired of  his  beings,  as  exemplified  by  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles, yet  the  scene  amidst  the  blaze  of  a  thousand  candles, 
shining  with  resplendent  brilliancy  in  that  vast  edifice, 
could  not  fail  to  impress  my  mind  with  the  solemnity  of  the 
occasion. 

As  I  contemplated  all  around  me,  and  the  ceremony  of 
raising  the  host  was  proceeding  with  great  gravity,  while 
the  whole  congregation  bowed  before  the  holy  image  of  the 
cross,  it  seemed  that  there  was  more  of  form  on  the  occa- 
sion than  the  understanding  of  the  heart ;  and,  as  my  eyes 
were  again  directed  towards  the  altar,  the  banisters  and 
pillars,  the  organ  and  the  vaulted  roofs,  the  polished  sur- 
faces of  which  were  all  of  silver  and  gold,  I  could  not 
help  exclaiming  within — "  All  is  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit." 

The  ceremonies  at  the  cathedral  continued  during  the 
whole  night.  At  the  hour  of  two  o'clock  I  returned  to  my 
lodgings  at  the  Gran  Sociadad.  I  should  not  close  my  re- 
marks of  this  night's  exhibition  without  saying  a  word  or 
two  respecting  the  ladies  of  Mexico ;  for,  on  this  occasion, 
I  saw  a  larger  collection  of  them  than  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  doing  during  my  stay  in  the  country.  The  number  who 
collected  in  the  cathedral  on  this  night  was  considerable. 
They  were  all  intermixed  with  the  common  multitude  ;  for 
here,  as  well  as  is  the  case  in  the  other  churches  and  chap- 
els, there  are  no  seats  for  the  congregation ;  and  the  wor- 
shippers can  stand,  kneel,  or  sit  upon  the  dirty  floor,  as 
their  inclinations  or  necessities  may  demand,  except  during 


134 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


certain  parts  of  tlie  services,  ^vhen  they  are  required  to  go 
through  particular  formaUties. 

In  the  manner  above  described,  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
casting  my  eyes  over  a  promiscuous  crowd,  and  of  con- 
trasting the  beauty  of  the  Mexican  with  the  European  la- 
dies ;  for  here  were  people  of  every  clime  and  complexion. 
From  iny  observations  of  the  Mexican  women,  as  I  saw 
them,  both  in  public  and  private,  I  considered  them  gene- 
rally handsome.  For  the  most  part,  they  are  low  in  sta- 
ture. They  have  invariably  black  hair  and  eyes.  The  skin 
of  some  have  a  tendency  to  fairness,  in  proportion  to  the 
care  they  have  taken  of  tliemselves,  and  to  their  alhance 
with  Europeans;  yet,  in  the  main,  they  appear  to  be  sun- 
burnt, having  generally  a  florid  complexion,  which  gives 
them  a  singularly  beautiful  aspect.  The  largest  portion  of 
them,  however,  have  a  dark  brunette  or  Indian  cast.  The 
expression  of  their  countenance,  in  general,  is  distinguished 
for  its  mildness  and  gentleness ;  this,  added  to  their  suavity 
and  languishing  air,  makes  their  deportment  peculiarly  in- 
teresting ;  and,  I  could  almost  say  that  to  see  one  of  them 
is  to  love  her. 

The  ladies  of  Mexico,  who  have  advanced  to  middle 
age,  as  I  observed,  had  mostly  a  tendency  to  be  plethoric. 
The  old  matrons  have  the  most  enfeebled  appearance  of 
those  of  any  country  I  had  ever  seen,  their  features  being 
deeply  marked  with  the  furrows  of  age.  The  effects  of  ac- 
cumulated years,  in  this  high  arid  climate,  not  only  lay 
violent  hands  on  the  natives  themselves,  but  all  who  have 
resided  long  in  that  dry  and  hot  atmosphere  have  an  appear- 
ance of  having  been  "  parched,  wearied,  riven."  The  skin 
too  has  a  dark,  crusty  aspect.  I  once  heard  a  wag  remark, 
that  it  was  his  opinion,  a  French  doctor  would  do  well  by 
introducing  into  the  country  an  apparatus  for  puffing  plump- 
ness to  the  skin. 

Premature  debility  and  declining  aspect,  is  also  attributa- 
ble, no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  young  ladies,  in  that  climate, 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


135 


commence  the  career  of  life  earlier  than  is  the  custom  in 
more  northern  latitudes.  I  have  not  unfrequently  seen, 
especially  among  the  lower  classes,  a  mother  of  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  while  the  husband  and  father  was  only  a  lad 
of  eighteen.  Hence  the  consequence  must  be,  that  the  mo- 
ther of  some  five  or  six  in  number,  at  the  youthful  age  of 
twenty  or  twenty-five  years,  must  feel  and  appear  to  have 
a  broken  and  wasted  constitution ;  while  those  of  a  colder 
clime,  and  double  their  years,  will  yet  be  athletic  and  heal- 
thy. By  this  healthy  bloom  of  cheek,  our  widows  are  en- 
couraged to  hope  for  her  second,  or,  perhaps,  third  husband: 
thereby  encountering  double  and  treble  responsibilities. 

The  most  fashionable  and  wealthy  circles  of  Mexican 
ladies  are  not  only  very  tasty,  but  extravagant  in  dress,  fol- 
lowing, in  the  main,  all  the  varieties  and  change  of  pattern, 
as  practised  at  the  fountains  of  fashion  in  Paris;  for  the 
city  of  Mexico  is  well  supplied  with  French  milliners,  both 
men  and  women.  I  have  been  informed,  that  a  Mexican 
lady  never  wears  the  same  dress  to  a  ball  a  second  time, 
although  it  may  have  cost  her  some  five  hundred  or  a  thou- 
sand dollars ;  for  silks,  laces  and  satins  are  very  dear  in 
Mexico. 

The  social  habits  of  the  ladies  of  this  country  are  very 
friendly  and  kind  among  their  neighbours  and  acquaint- 
ances. The  frequency  of  visiting  is  not  practised  among 
them.  Their  calls  on  one  another  are  short  and  friendly, 
yet  made  with  a  degree  of  formality  and  courteousness  of 
conversation  which  restrains  the  natural  warmth  of  cha- 
racter. 

It  is  with  much  prudence,  and  only  upon  Sundays,  that 
they  permit  themselves  to  be  visited  by  young  gentlemen, 
and  that  only  betv/een  the  hours  of  ten  in  the  morning  and 
three  in  the  evening.  The  entertainments  of  small  tea  and 
dancing-parties  are  but  little  encouraged  and  practised 
among  them,  while  their  amours  are  chiefly  conducted  in 
writing.     By  the  way,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  give  an 


|3g  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

idea  how  some  courtships  are  managed.  A  gentleman  or 
lady  who  has  had  the  shaft  of  Cupid  to  stick  deep  in  the 
heart,  expresses  the  passion  by  sending  a  letter  to  the  object 
of  their  affections.  If  favourably  received,  this  course  is 
continued  until  their  desires  are  consummated. 

But,  where  the  wishes  of  the  parties  are  anticipated  to  be 
in  opposition  to  those  of  the  parents  or  guardians,  the  lover 
not  only  writes,  every  clandestine  opportunity  which  pre- 
sents itself,  but  in  disguise,  if  fearful  of  observation,  with 
slouched  hat,  and  cloak  or  serapi  drawn  over  his  face,  he 
will  take  his  stand  at  the  corner  of  a  street,  and  in  this  man- 
ner, while  basking  in  the  sunshine,  will  indulge  himself  for 
a  whole  day,  in  beholding  the  charms  of  his  adored  one, 
who,  perchance,  now  appears  upon  the  corridor  or  portal, 
and  then  at  the  window,  resembling  a  lone  dove  imprisoned 
in  a  cage,  which,  by  wistful,  languishing  looks  and  pertur- 
bed motion,  longs  to  be  free,  and  cleave  the  heaven  so 
much  beloved. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  some  swains,  who  have  been  debar- 
red from  the  opportunities  of  sending  a  letter,  to  take  the 
occasion,  when  the  fair  one  is  on  the  portal,  to  pass  by,  and, 
at  the  proper  distance,  suddenly  throw  open  a  sheet  of  pa- 
per which  has  a  word  or  two  written  in  large  letters,  so 
that  the  eyes  of  ihe  lady  may  decipher  it,  eagle-eyed  as 
they  are  to  read.  In  these  cases  a  syllable  is  as  much  as  a 
volume. 

The  reader,  however,  is  not  to  imagine,  from  the  above 
description  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  ladies  of 
Mexico,  that  each  has  not  her  moments  of  ostentation, 
gaiety  and  coquetry.  For  if  you  could  see  her,  when  ex- 
posed to  public  gaze,  visiting  her  favourite  places  of  amuse- 
ment, the  theatre,  the  alemade,  or  the  pasio,  you  might  then 
behold  her,  from  her  sumptuousness  of  dress,  and  by  the 
light  quivering  of  her  fan  between  her  delicate  fingers,  as 
she  saluted  those  of  her  acquaintance  who  may  come  under 
the  notice  of  her  love-sparkling  eyes ; — I  say,  you  might 
there  behold  a  being  whose  heart  is  susceptible  of  the  warm- 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO. 


137 


est  sympathies  of  our  nature,  and  whose  charms,  on  such 
occasions,  hover  Hke'the  evening  rain-bow  to  embrace  the 
spell-bound  spirits  of  her  admirers. 

But  little  can  be  seen  of  the  Mexican  lady,  excepting  on 
great  ball  and  procession  occasions;  then,  the  elegance  of, 
her  person,  the  modesty  of  her  manners,  and  the  cheerful 
loveliness  of  her  smiles,  never  fail  to  feast  the  soul  of  the 
beholder. 

The  females  of  Mexico  never  wear  bonnets,  but  cover  their 
heads  with  an  article  of  dress  called  a  rehoso,  a  kind  of 
shawl  some  six  feet  long,  and  nearly  half  the  same  in 
breadth.  This  reboso  not  only  covers  the  head,  but  is  closely 
drawn  over  the  face ;  and,  by  being  cr-ossed  in  front,  ob- 
scures the  bosom.  I  did  not,  but  upon  one  instance,  see  a 
lady  wearing  a  bonnet,  and  she  was  a  European.  I  was  in- 
fonried  that  all  ladies  from  abroad,  on  their  arrival  at  the 
city  of  Mexico,  conformed  to  the  prevalent  customs  and 
fashions  of  the  place,  in  walking  and  riding  with  uncovered 
heads.  However,  I  was  pleased  to  see  the  English  lady, 
with  great  good  sense,  maintain  the  privilege  of  the  bonnet, 
and  not  throw  aside  a  comfort  and  an  elegance  to  gratify 
the  intolerant  and  bigoted  spirit  of  the  natives,  who  scorn 
any  other  ways  than  their  own ;  and  the  lady,  if  she  saw 
me,  little  knew  how  unconsciously  she  was  delighting  a 
stranger,  who,  by  the  sight  of  her  bonnet,  was  reminded  of 
those  at  home  who  lived  supreme  in  his  thoughts. 

However,  the  ladies  of  Mexico,  on  appearing  in  public, 
covered  with  their  reboso,  are,  on  some  occasions,  a  little 
kind,  in  having  but  a  small  portion  of  this  article  of  dress 
over  their  heads,  the  folds  of  which,  by  an  inadvertent  cast 
of  one  of  her  hands,  will  drop,  and,  for  a  moment,  the  be- 
holder is  blessed  with  a  view  of  her  bosom  and  waist.  And, 
what  is  astonishing,  she  will  not  unfrequently  be  seen  hold- 
ing a  corner  of  her  shawl,  or  handkerchief,  over  her  mouth, 
to  prevent  the  deleterious  effects  of  breathing  the  pure  air ; 
as  the  Mexicans  universally  believe  that  all  of  their  mala- 


138  TRAVELSIN   MEXICO. 

dies  are  derived  from  the  atmosphere.  Hence  it  is,  that  if 
you  perceive  a  Mexican  with  his  head  bound  up,  or  look 
dejected  otherwise,  his  reply,  made  with  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders,  and  a  leer  of  the  head,  will  invariably  be,  "  Los 
««»«." — the  air. 

There  is  no  purer  atmosphere  to  be  found  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  than  is  breathed  on  the  plains  of  Mexico ;  yet  the 
jMcxicans  seem  to  apprehend  more  detriment  from  it  than 
from  the  vomito  of  the  coasts.  But  as  I  advance  on  my 
journey  up  the  country,  I  shall  give  my  attention  again  to 
the  "los  ira.'" 

The  twenty-fifth  of  December,  Christmas-day,  was  also 
marked  by  many  other  festivities.  There  was  during  the 
W'hole  day,  the  firing  of  rockets  from  the  churches,  and  of 
cannon  from  before  the  national  palace,  at  the  plaza.  In 
the  evening.  General  Canalizo,  the  dictator,  pro  tern.,  in  his 
coach  of  state,  accompanied  by  his  guards  of  lancers,  com- 
manded by  a  general  officer,  rode  through  the  streets  to  the 
alemade  and  the  pasio.  To  inform  plain  republicans  in  the 
United  States,  that  it  was  an  extraordinary  sight  for  the  first 
officer  of  the  republic  of  Mexico  to  appear  in  his  coach, 
would  not  awaken  their  imaginations  to  the  gaudy  and  royal 
state  in  which  such  things  are  done  there.  But  never  was 
I  more  surprised,  and  indeed  indignant,  than  when  I  beheld 
the  chief  magistrate  of  a  republican  government  aping  the 
gaudy  show  and  circumstance  of  royal  pride  to  please  and 
gull  a  gaping  people.  I  had  thought  that  in  the  enlightened 
age  of  the  nineteenth  century,  republicans  of  all  the  conti- 
nent of  America  had  thrown  aside  and  disdained  the  tinsel 
of  monarchical  pageantry  and  aristocracy,  basing  their 
noble  bearing  alone  on  the  soundness  of  their  constitutional 
principles,  and  devotion  to  their  country's  weal. 

But  so  far  from  the  Dictator  of  Mexico  appearing  in  plain 
garb  and  equipage,  and  like  Washington  assuming  in  public 
to  be  nothing  more  than  a  servant  of  the  people  and  a  pri- 
vate citizen, — Gen.  Canalizo  had  his  coach  literally  fringed 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  |3g 

and  covered  with  gold ;  and  I  hardly  knew  which  the  most 
to  admire,  the  splendid  uniforms  of  iiis  coachmen,  or  that  of 
his  own.  But  for  the  fact,  that  the  Dictator,  instead  of  the 
driver,  wore  the  shopo,  and  was  seated  within,  I  would  have 
mistaken  that  Yankee,  mounted  on  his  seat  like  a  golden 
throne,  for  the  Dictator  pro  tem.  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 

There  were  also  Generals  dressed  in  full  uniforms,  at- 
tending as  outriders  to  his  Excellency,  while  not  less  than 
a  hundred  lancers  were  his  body  guard.  Hang  down  your 
heads  ye  respectable  republicans  and  generals  of  the  United 
States !  for  you  cannot  aspire  to  being  postillions  and  body- 
servants  to  the  most  high  in  authority. 

Having  seen  the  big  show  of  the  Dictator,  I  followed  the 
crowd  to  the  Plaza  de  los  Torres,  for  I  was  not  satisfied 
with  my  speculations,  upon  the  different  castes  of  society, 
and  the  moral  tone  pervading  each.  Having  convinced 
myself  that  decent  and  respectable  portions  of  society,  em- 
bracing both  sexes,  visited  the  shows  of  bull-fighting,  I  at- 
tended the  exhibition,  remaining  there  as  long  as  I  could  do 
so  with  any  degree  of  ease  or  comfort.  I  observed  a  mo- 
ther with  three  children,  call  their  attention  so  particularly 
to  the  scene  of  blood,  that  they  might  not  escape  seeing  all 
the  cruel  performances  of  the  occasion.  I  soon  left  the  bar- 
barous amphitheatre,  never  intending  to  enter  it  again. 

It  often  happens  in  human  affairs,  that,  when  the  fields 
look  most  gay,  and  pleasures  are  flooding  in  upon  us,  almost 
producing  an  elysium  upon  earth,  sudden  reverses  will 
overtake  the  unsuspecting,  and  turn  the  glee  of  mirth  and 
the  pomp  of  pride  into  trembling,  fear,  and  wailing. 

So  it  happened,  that  just  at  the  present  crisis  of  Mexican 
affairs,  on  the  glad  day  of  Christmas,  the  news  reached 
the  capital,  that  a  British  fleet  had  arrived  before  Vera 
Cruz,  to  demand  satisfaction  for  an  insult  offered  to  the 
British  flag  by  the  Dictator  of  Mexico. 

Upon  my  arrival  at  the  city,  I  found  that  not  only  the  Mexi- 
cans, but  foreigners  of  all  nations,  were  much  excited  on  the 


J40  TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 

subject  of  the  difficulty  between  the  two  nations,  which 
grew  out  of  an  affair  that  happened  at  a  national  ball, 
given  by  Santa  Anna  at  the  Government  Palace.  The  Dic- 
tator had  directed  that  the  ball-room  should  be  decorated 
with  the  trophies  of  flags  which  had  been  taken  by  the 
Mexicans  in  battle.  Among  the  number,  conspicuously 
placed,  was  the  English  Jack. 

On  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Doyle,  the  British  Charge  de 
Affaires,  who  was  an  invited  guest  at  the  ball,  he  discovered 
that  one  of  the  ensigns  of  his  country  Avas  spread  out  as  a 
trophy,  to  decorate  the  brilliancy  and  glory  of  the  occasion. 
Mr.  D.,  in  the  prompt  performance  of  his  duty,  peremptori- 
ly demanded  of  the  Dictator  of  Mexico,  that  the  Jack  should 
be  taken  down,  as  a  flag  had  never  been  won  by  the  Mexi- 
cans of  the  English.  The  Dictator  did  not  hesitate  to  veto 
its  removal,  and  Mr.  D.  immediately,  in  the  just  spirit  of 
resentment,  left  the  palace,  and  as  a  British  sloop  of  war 
was  lying  at  Vera  Cruz,  he  despatched  her  home,  with  in- 
formation to  his  monarch  of  the  insult  offered  to  her  flag. 

The  anxiety  produced  by  the  suspended  relations  of  the 
two  powers,  not  only  caused  confusion  with  the  English  in 
Mexico,  but  with  all  other  foreigners ;  as  a  state  of  war 
would  throw  many  obstacles  in  the  way  of  all,  particularly 
those  who  had  to  travel,  and  who  spoke  the  English  tongue. 
For  the  Mexicans  are  so  prejudiced,  that,  when  at  war,  they 
do  not  spare  or  protect  private  citizens,  or  any  who  belong 
to  the  enemy  of  their  country. 

It  was  amusing  to  witness  the  commotion  of  feeling  pro- 
duced, upon  the  news  of  every  arrival  of  a  ship  at  Vera 
Cruz.  A  thousand  well-authenticated  different  rumours 
would  be  circulating  at  the  same  time  among  the  people, 
and  it  did  occasionally  seem  that  the  good  people  of  Mex- 
ico almost  heard  the  British  bomb-shells,  crackinf;  over  the 
castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa. 

Nevertheless,  it  proved  that,  up  to  the  5th  day  of  Janu- 
ary, no  English  fleet  had  arrived  off"  the  coast.     The  go- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  i^j 

vernment,  in  anticipation  of  the  desperate  result,  had  order- 
ed troops  to  Vera  Cruz,  to  fortify  the  fort  and  tlie  city;  but 
men  and  officers  positively  refused  to  obey  orders,  declaring 
that  it  would  be  certain  death  for  them  to  undertake  to  de- 
fend the  city. 

The  government  had  therefore  to  send  a  despatch  to  the 
British  Queen,  announcing  its  willingness  to  surrender  the 
Jack  to  any  of  the  English  authorities  empowered  to  receive 
it,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Doyle.  Thus  making  a  per- 
sonal affair  of  the  whole  difference  between  the  Charo-e  de 
Affaires  and  the  Mexican  Dictator.  I  should  not  be  sur- 
prised, however,  if  her  Majesty  obliged  the  Mexicans  to 
deUver  the  Union  Jack,  with  a  royal  salute,  to  his  Excel- 
lency, upon  the  Plaza.* 

•  Since  the  above  was  written,  the  British  Sovereign  has  received  the  apolo- 
gy of  Santa  Anna,  and  Mr.  Doyle  was  recalled. 


J42  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Iii(lis;)ositlon  of  some  of  the  Dei)iiiies.  A  failuic  of  a  quorum.  The  Depuiits  installed. 
Speech  of  Caiializ.o.  Reply  of  Xinienes.  Cekbiation  of  the  installation.  How  tliiMfjs 
are  cl(jne  in  Mexico.  WorNhip  of  the  Golilen  Sun.  Firin'.;  of  camion.  Splendid  illumi- 
nation of  the  Cathedral  and  Plaza.  Installation  of  the  President  elect.  Canalize,  the 
proxy  of  Santa  Anna.  Celebration  of  the  installation  of  the  President.  The  worship  of 
the  Christian,  a  hap])y  exchange  for  the  native.  Grand  ])arade  of  all  the  military.  My 
stay  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  if  the  will  of  the  people  was  known.  Mr.  Green  gave  me 
notice  nijt  to  have  the  city.  Copy  of  the  secret  order.  Determined  to  take  the  advice 
of  Gen.  Thompson.  Gen,  Thompson's  negotiation.  My  opinion.  Mexican  persecu- 
tion. Two  Americans  imjjrisoned  at  Guynias.  Who  are  the  Mexicans?  Union  of  the 
European  and  Indian  blood.  Comparative  difference  of  the  Christian  and  Savage  wor- 
ship. Mild  disposition  of  the  Mexican.  Love  of  country.  The  Mexicans  are  a  motley 
race.  Solemnity  and  sadness  of  countenance.  Mexican  politeness.  Confidence  in  no 
one  wlio  cannot  blush. 


In  consequence  of  the  indisposition  of  some  of  the  depu- 
ties of  the  Mexican  Congress,  as  communicated  by  letter  to 
the  Dictator  pro  tern.,  a  failure  of  a  quorum  occurred. 
Therefore,  upon  the  day  in  course  for  the  regular  install- 
ment of  the  members,  the  house  could  not  be  organised. 
This  indisposition  of  the  deputies  was  supposed  by  some  to 
have  been  more  the  result  of  a  mental  than  a  bodily  cause, 
in  consequence  of  their  disgust  with  the  politics  of  the 
country,  and  their  want  of  confidence  in  the  Dictator;  as 
they,  during  their  last  session,  were  driven  from  their  seats 
by  military  force.  And  I  was  forcibly  reminded,  by  their 
excuses,  of  the  Seminole  chief  Sam  Jones,  who,  when  com- 
manded by  General  Jessup  to  come  in  and  surrender,  re- 
turned word  that  he  was  lame,  and  could'nt  walk. 

The  deputies  were  not  installed  until  the  first  day  of 
January.  I  took  the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  palace  in 
company  with  an  American  gentleman, — who,  from  a  long 
residence  in  tiie  country,  not  only  knew  men  and  politics, 
but  understood  the  Spanish  language  well, — and  witnessing 
the  opening  of  the  session  of  the  house  for  the  first  time  un- 
der the  new  constitution. 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  J43 

After  the  speaker  had  called  the  house  to  order,  Gen. 
Canalizo  rose  from  his  seat,  and,  in  a  handsome  manner, 
informed  the  deputies  of  the  state  and  condition  of  the  Re- 
public. During  his  speech,  he  remarked  that  the  commerce 
of  tiie  country  was  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  that  the 
agricultural  and  mining  interests  were  never  in  a  more  pros- 
perous state,  or  yielded  larger  profitable  results.  He  con- 
cluded by  eulogising  the  manufactures  of  the  country,  ap- 
pealing to  the  honourable  body  to  protect  the  industry  of 
the  nation. 

The  grave  and  accomplished  gentleman  having  taken  his 
seat,  the  majority  of  the  Deputies  appeared,  by  their  smiles* 
of  approbation,  to  be  gratified  with  the  flattering  account 
which  Gen.  C.  had  been  pleased  to  give  of  the  happiness 
and  prosperity  of  the  Republic. 

But  when  Ximenes,  the  President  of  the  Senate,  rose  up 
in  his  place,  which  was  a  throne,  under  a  royal  purple  cano- 
py, fringed  with  gold,  (as  often  seen  from  the  pulpit,  the 
only  throne  in  the  United  States,)  he  most  unexpectedly, 
soon  put  to  the  blush  many  of  the  high  coloured  assertions 
of  the  honourable  Dictator  pro  tem. 

In  his  reply  to  his  colleague  of  the  Executive,  he  most 
respectfully  requested  leave  to  difler  with  his  excellency, 
who  had  taken  his  seat.  For  in  the  first  place,  he  rtated 
that,  so  far  from  the  commerce  of  the  country  being  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition,  it  had  been  almost  effectually  desti'oyed 
by  the  recent  decrees,  leaving  a  prohibitory  tariff  on  most 
of  the  articles  of  manufacture,  which  were  formerly  import- 
ed into  the  country.  He  also  said,  that  he  had  not  been 
able  to  discover  the  good  results  the  protective  system  had 
given  or  could  give  to  any  portion  of  the  Republic ;  for  the 
consumer  was  obliged,  under  the  decree,  to  pay  from  two 
to  four  times  as  much,  in  many  instances,  for  the  elegancies 
and  necessaries  of  life,  as  those  articles  formerly  cost  his 
fellow-citizens. 

Besides,  he  said,  what  the  more  disparaged  him  was, 


J44  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

that  after  they  had  protected  the  manufacturer,  he  was 
yet  complaining  of  his  manufactures  yielding  no  profit,  and 
still  demanding  the  aid  of  the  government,  while  he  was 
unable  to  pay  any  bonus  for  the  monopoly  he  enjoyed ;  at 
the  same  time,  he  remarked,  that  the  decree  was  extracting 
largely  from  the  pockets  of  the  people. 

He  also  stated,  that  he  was  of  the  opinion  that  agriculture 
was  on  the  decline;  for  although  there  were  no  duties  levied 
upon  cxportations  of  the  products  of  the  farmer,  yet,  as 
almost  all  trade  had  been  lopped  off  from  the  country,  and 
foreign  powers  were  compelled  to  turn  the  tide  of  their  im- 
:^)ortations  to  other  parts  of  the  world  than  their  own,  and 
in  consequence  needed  not  their  surplus  produce — inasmuch 
as  other  nations  were  maritime,  and  Mexico  possessed  no 
shipping — the  former  had  to  receive  a  reduced  price  from 
the  manufacturer  for  his  grain,  or  else  suffer  it  to  rot  in  his 
granaries.  Hence  it  was,  he  said,  that  numbers  of  farmers 
would  lose  their  places  upon  the  Hacienda  campus,  and 
would  not  find  employment  in  the  manufactories  or  the 
mines ;  for  the  plain  reason,  that  there  was  already  a  suf- 
ficiency of  labour,  in  those  branches  of  industry. 

He  concluded  his  remarks  by  saying,  that  the  mines  also 
had  not  yielded  as  in  former  years ;  and  notwithstanding  all 
these  facts,  the  national  debt  was  increasing,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  Executive,  who  in  reality  was  the  govern- 
ment, was  making  demands  for  increased  expenditures  and 
protection. 

The  reply  of  the  President  of  the  senate,  to  the  speech  of 
the  Dictator,  turned  the  smiles  of  some  into  frowns;  and 
while  others  dared  not  approbate  the  remarks,  at  least  every 
learned  and  profound  member  looked  as  if  he  just  had  his 
eyes  skinned.  After  these  speeches  of  the  two  high  func- 
tionaries, the  house  adjourned ;  for  this  was  all  that  consti- 
tuted the  installation  of  the  Deputies. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  commenced  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  occasion ;  for  nothing  in  Mexico  can  be  perform- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


145 

ed  without  having  rejoicing,  and  the  results  of  such  moves 
have  always  happy  effects  in  the  benefits  which  they  afford 
the  ambitious  with  the  multitudes  of  every  country,  and  in 
winning  the  favour  of  the  people. 

Bonaparte  was  not  deficient  in  having  his  bonfires  and 
shows  at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  to  bribe  the  common 
herd ;  as  also  his  grand  parades.  And  I  am  heartily  per- 
suaded, that  processions  and  shows  of  rejoicing  can  be  cor- 
rupted for  ambitious  and  inimical  purposes,  to  the  detriment 
of  the  people.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  people  of  the 
United  States  are  suffering  the  innovation  of  such  hum- 
buggery.  •* 

But  that  the  world  may  know  how  tilings  are  done  in 
Mexico,  I  will  give  some  detail  of  my  observations  on  the 
grand  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  the  installation  of  the 
Deputies.  At  the  appointed  time,  the  citizens  had  assem- 
bled in  considerable  numbers  on  the  Plaza,  as  if  they  had 
congregated  to  worship  the  golden  sun  on  the  palace,  or  the 
eight  six-pounders  which  were  drawn  before  that  ancient 
building.  As  I  cast  my  eyes  around,  I  observed  the  be- 
witching smiles  of  many  fair  faces,  who  were  blessing  some 
hopeful  few ;  and  it  was  with  some  sympathy  that  I  noticed 
the  convulsed  nerves  of  the  lovely  ones,  as  the  thundering 
peals  of  the  cannon  reported  volley  after  volley.  The 
firing  of  the  cannon  and  the  playing  of  the  music  continued 
until  the  close  of  the  day. 

When  night  came,  a  splendid  illumination  of  the  cathe- 
dral, the  palace,  and  all  the  houses  around  the  Plaza,  took 
place.  I  could  not  refrain  from  going  to  witness  this  grand 
scene.  The  windows  and  the  tops  of  the  portals  of  the 
houses  round  the  Plaza  and  the  palace,  all  shone  with  a  bril- 
liant illumination,  while  the  margins  of  the  flat  roofs  of  the 
buildings  presented  an  extensive  line  of  blazing  torches,  ap- 
pearing like  streams  of  fire  as  seen  at  a  distance  on  moun- 
tain heights.  But  as  I  turned  my  direction  towards  the 
cathedral,  it  was  then  that  my  eyes  caught  the  full  blaze  of 
10 


^Q  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

light ;  for  from  the  earth  to  the  top  of  the  two  high  steeples, 
it  was  studded  with  burning  lamps,  casting  wide  their  light 
over  the  city.  And  as  the  illumination  shot  its  rays  high 
in  the  heavens,  like  the  eternal  fires  on  the  Aztic  temple, 
that  once  covered  the  same  ground,  the  distant  mountains 
of  porphyritic  rock  seemed  to  have  caught  the  red  glare. 
It  called  to  my  mind  the  period  when  all  Anahuac  wor- 
shipped the  sun,  and  when,  as  the  blazes  of  the  torches  as- 
cended up  to  the  bright  luminary  of  the  heavens,  the  cen- 
sers on  the  fires  before  the  altars  contained  the  hearts  of 
thousands  of  human  victims  sacrificed  to  appease  blind  and 
imaginary  gods.  I  thought  of  that  unfortunate  period  in  the 
histoiy  of  the  conquerors,  when  forty  of  their  number,  who 
had  been  taken  prisoners  by  the  barbarians,  were  marched 
in  long  procession,  within  the  distant  view  of  their  compa- 
nions, who  could  not  come  to  their  rescue,  and  with  solemn 
chant  were  seen  to  wind  their  way  around  the  high  temple 
up  to  its  top,  there  to  be  extended  upon  the  jasper  sacrificial 
stone,  and  with  breasts  protruded  and  frantic  screams,  have 
their  hearts  torn  out,  held  to  the  sun,  and  then  thrown  to 
the  altars  of  their  sanguinary  deities. 

Although  the  illumination  revived  in  my  memory  those 
past  historical  events,  yet  the  present  temple,  I  reflected,  was 
erected  to  the  one,  true,  and  living  God  of  the  adorable 
Trinity, — the  Christian's  God,  proclaiming  "  peace  on  earth 
and  good  will  to  man,"  and  if  corrupted  in  its  purity,  still  it 
is  the  Christian  religion  which  is  preached  within  its  walls ; 
a  happy  exchange  for  the  idolatry  of  former  days. 

On  the  following  day  the  President  elect  was  to  be  in- 
stalled. Gen.  Santa  Anna  was  not  in  the  city,  but  had  re- 
turned to  Mango  de  Clavo,  immediately  after  the  period  of  j 
the  big  national  ball,  when  he  made  the  fatal  mistake  with 
the  British  Jack,  in  making  it  a  glorious  trophy.  Doubtless 
the  vanity  of  the  man,  in  his  desire  for  fame,  had  persuaded 
him,  as  well  as  it  wished  to  impose  upon  the  credulity  of 
his  people,  that  he  had  achieved  a  victory  over  the  red 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  ^aj 

coats,  when  every  body  knew  that  he  had  never  done  any 
other  fighting,  besides  the  massacreing  of  his  own  people, 
saving  the  mishap  of  San  Jacinto,  and  the  gallant  loss  of  his 
leg  at  Vera  Cruz. 

Santa  Anna,  the  President  elect,  under  the  constitution  of 
his  own  creating,  was  empowered  to  appoint  the  electors, 
and  of  course  they  were  obliged  to  return  the  compliment 
by  electing  him  who  had  appointed  them,  their  president. 
The  installation  was  by  proxy, — Gen.  Canalizo,  his  man 
Friday,  representing  the  President  elected. 

Although  Santa  Anna  had,  upon  that  day,  laid  down  the 
absolute  powers  of  the  Dictatorship,  yet  it  was  a  mere  far- 
cical exchange  of  names;  for  the  title  of  President,  under 
the  instrument  which  he  called  the  constitution,  gave  him  all 
the  dictatorial  functions  that  he  might  require. 

The  day  which  ushered  the  quondam  Dictator  to  the  pre- 
sidency had  likewise  to  be  celebrated,  and  as  morning 
dawned,  it  was  hailed  by  the  firing  of  cannon,  continued  at 
intervals  during  the  day.  Ten  thousand  troops,  which  had 
been  stationed  in  the  city,  were  taken  to  the  private  resi- 
dence of  the  president,  where,  it  is  said,  the  wily  chieftain 
quartered  them  to  consume  the  cattle  of  his  well-stocked 
haciendas.  This  left  remaining,  for  the  protection  of  the 
President  pro  tern.,  a  force  equal  to  the  entire  standing  army 
of  the  United  States,  of  five  thousand  men.  These  troops, 
consisting  of  artillery,  infantry  and  cavalry,  well  equipped, 
paraded  the  streets  early  in  the  morning,  marching  and 
counter-marching  through  every  avenue  of  the  city. 

The  bands  of  music  accompanying  the  military  were  ex- 
cellent. The  soldiers  were  all  good  looking  fellows,  and  in 
the  pride  they  appeared  to  take  in  the  parade,  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  well  drilled  and  disciplined.  The  military 
are  devoted  to  their  master.  President  Santa  Anna ;  and  it  is 
by  them,  not  by  the  sufl!rages  of  the  people,  that  he  main- 
tains his  power.  As  I  viewed  the  pompous  procession,  my 
bosom  was  kindled  with  feelings  of  native  republican  pride, 


148 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


and.  I  renewed  my  resolve,  that  as  long  as  the  spirit  of  a  Vir- 
ginian dwelt  in  my  breast,  I  would  never  tolerate  military 
usurpation  and  dictatorial  despotism. 

It  is  related  by  historians  that  seventy  thousand  human 
beings  were  sacrificed  at  the  coronation  of  Montezeuma. 

In  the  pageantry  of  the  celebration  of  the  installation  of 
the  President,  and  the  exiiibition  of  his  extraordinary  pow- 
ers, it  was  perceptible  that  the  people  did  not  have  much 
heart;  for  at  night,  when  the  illumination  took  place  at  the 
Plaza,  I  did  not  see  more  people  assembled  than  on  ordinary 
occasions.  On  the  contrary,  when  this  spectacle  was  in 
honour  of  the  instalment  of  the  house  of  Deputies,  there  was 
an  almost  impenetrable  crowd.  Besides,  they  seemed  to 
have  been  as  much  rejoiced  as  if  they  had  just  obtained 
their  liberty  and  independence.  Whereas,  when  the  truly 
imposing  spectacle  of  the  soldiery  was  presented  in  the 
streets,  there  were  few  people  to  be  seen, — considering  their 
fondness  for  show ; — and  all  the  day  I  observed  that  the  in- 
habitants confined  themselves  more  to  their  homes,  than  it 
was  their  habit  of  doing  on  their  festival  occasions. 

I  heard  it  stated,  by  more  than  one  Mexican,  that  the 
parading  of  the  military  was  only  a  stratagem  of  Santa 
Anna  to  intimidate  the  Deputies  in  their  deliberations ;  and 
all  the  world  knew  that  he  had,  previous  to  their  installa- 
tion, issued  a  decree,  that  they,  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  should  not  investigate  his  acts,  and  that  he,  as  Dic- 
tator, was  not  responsible  to  them !  And  they  had  good  rea- 
son to  fear,  for  they  well  remembered  that  the  last  Congress 
of  Mexico  was  annihilated  and  dispersed  by  Santa  Anna's 
having  a  regiment  of  his  grenadiers,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Cortes,  stationed  at  the  door  of  the  deliberative  chamber,  to 
prevent  their  meeting.  Captain  C.  is  a  native  of  the  state 
of  Louisiana.  He  described  to  me  the  history  of  the  day, 
and  remarked,  that  whenever  a  Deputy  demanded  of  him 
admission  into  the  chamber,  he  was  obliged  to  avert  his 
head  with  shame,  when  refusing  the  supreme  representa- 


'£ 

»/ 


'^S 


'  few- 


r^J-r 


fl 


r 


Tr-t '  aify*^ 


y^, 


- -wsseg^fSfa^gS? 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  j^g 

tivcs  of  the  people,  entrance  to  tlicir  hall ;  -so  that  by  their 
rightful  deliberations,  they  might  preserve  the  liberties  of 
their  country.  I  heard  a  Mexican  say  also,  that  the  sol- 
diers might  fire  their  cannon,  and  the  priests  illuminate  the 
cathedral ;  but  if  the  will  of  the  people  was  expressed,  the 
palace  and  the  cathedral  would  both  be  hung  in  sable. 

My  stay  in  the  city  was  much  longer  than  I  had  wished, 
or  expected  it  would  have  been.  My  destination  to  San 
Francisco,  Upper  California,  being  above  two  thousand 
miles  north  of  the  capitol  of  Mexico,  it  was  with  no  degree 
of  pleasure  that  my  delay  was  extended  to  a  period  of  nine 
weeks.  The  difficulties  and  dangers  I  should  necessarily 
be  obliged  to  encounter  in  the  hazardous  journey,  inland, 
which  I  contemplated,  were  continually  oppressing  my 
mind,  and  I  daily  desired  to  commence  the  undertaking,  so 
that  by  the  toils  to  be  endured,  and  the  change  of  scene,  I 
might  obtain  relief. 

In  the  first  place,  my  baggage,  that  had  been  promised 
me  by  the  conductor  at  Vera  Cruz,  should  be  delivered  in 
the  city  of  Mexico  in  eighteen  days,  from  the  time  of  my 
departure  from  that  place,  did  not  reach  me  under  thirty- 
six.  Next,  in  consequence  of  a  communication  to  Gen. 
Thompson,  from  one  of  the  northern  departments  of  Mex- 
ico, I  received  notice  through  his  secretary,  Mr.  Green,  not 
to  leave  the  city  on  my  journey,  until  the  subject  of  difficul- 
ty, originating  from  the  communication  which  he  had  re- 
ceived, had  been  settled  with  the  government  of  Mexico. 
For  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  public,  I  will  give  the  order, 
the  subject  of  negotiation,  as  furnished  to  me  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  American  Legation,  in  Spanish  and  English. 

"  Ministerio  de  Guerra  y  Marina. 
"  Es'  mo  S'r. 

"El.  E.  S.  Presidente  provisional  usando  de  los  facul- 
tades,  q.  le  concede  la  ley  de  22  de  Febrero  de  1832,  y  con- 
vencido  de  q.  no  conviere  q.  los  naturales  de  los  E.  U.  del 
Norte  tengan  su  residencia  en  ese  Departmento  del  mando 


J5Q  TRAVELSINMEXICO. 

y.  S.  se  ha  servido  resolver  que  salzan  de  el,  en  el  termino 
prudente  q.  V.  S.  les  fine  al  efecte,  y  q.  en  lo  sincere  no  se 
admite  en  el  mismo  Departo.  a  mix  un  individad  periine- 
cientc  a  los  Espresados  Estados  Unidos ;  debiendo  enten- 
derse  esta  prohibicion  aun  pava  los  limitrofes  a  ese  de  Cali- 
fornias  ;  d  cuyo  fin,  con  esta  fecha,  hajo  las  respectivas  com- 
municaciones ;  lo  que  tengo  el  honor  de  decir  a  V.  S.  para 
su  conocimiento,  recomendandole  mui  eficazmente  el  com- 
plimiento  de  esta  suprema  resolucion. 

«'  Dios  y  Libertad.     Mejico,  Julio  H,  1843. 
"  (Firmado.)  Tornel. 

"  E.  S.  Gubernador 

y  Com.  Gen.  de  Californias." 

"  En  la  misma  fecha. 

"  Se  inserto  esta  orden  a  los  gobernadores  de  Sonora, 
Sinaloa,  y  Chihuahua.  El  S'r  Urrea  contcsto  al  Gobierno, 
asegenadole  q.  yu  habid  comenzado  i  obrar." 

"  Department  of  War  and  Marine. 

"  The  President  pro  tern.,  by  virtue  of  the  powers  granted 
him  by  the  law  of  the  22d  February,  1832,  convinced  of 
the  impropriety  of  permitting  the  natives  of  the  United 
States  to  reside  in  the  Department,  under  the  command  of 
your  Excellency,  has  resolved  that  they  should  be  ordered 
out  of  it,  within  such  time  as  it  may  appear  most  prudent 
to  you,  and  that  in  future  no  individual  belonging  to  the 
above  named  United  States  be  permitted  entrance  into  said 
department ;  it  being  understood  that  this  order  is  to  apply 
also  even  to  the  frontier  of  the  department,  to  which,  and 
under  this  date,  I  have  the  honour  to  make  known  to  your 
Excellency,  recommending  you  to  carry  this  supreme  order 
into  complete  effect. 

"  God  and  Liberty. 
«  Mexico,  July  14,  1843. 
"  (Signed.)  Tornel. 

"  To  his  Excellency  the  Governor  and 

"  Commandant  General  of  the  Califomias." 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jgj 

Accompanying  the  communication  received  by  Gen. 
Thompson,  of  which  the  above  is  a  true  copy,  was  a  note 
giving  the  information  that — 

"  Under  the  same  date,  the  same  order  has  been  commu- 
nicated to  the  Governor  of  Sinora,  Sinaloa,  and  Chihuahua. 
Gen.  Urrea  rephed  to  the  government,  assuring  it  that  the 
order  had  already  been  put  in  force." 

The  reception  of  the  above  order  by  the  American  minis- 
ter, demanded  of  him  to  act  with  promptness  and  decision. 
And  it  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  upon  the  issuing  of  this 
decree,  the  American  minister  had  not  been  furnished  with 
a  copy  according  to  usage ;  but  the  government  secretly 
communicated  its  commands  to  the  Governors  for  it  to  be 
put  into  full  effect,  before  the  American  Legation  could  be 
made  aware  of  its  existence,  to  prevent  its  nefarious  opera- 
tions. This,  too,  transpired  at  a  time  of  profound  peace 
between  the  two  republics,  contrary  to  the  usages  of  na- 
tions, and  the  existence  of  treaties  between  the  two  coun- 
tries. 

I  determined  therefore  to  take  the  advice  of  Gen.  Thomp- 
son, and  wait  the  issue  of  his  correspondence  with  the  Mexi- 
can government.  The  General  lost  no  time  in  communi- 
cating a  copy  of  the  order  to  Gen.  Bocanegra,  Minister  of 
Foreign  Relations,  demanding  to  know  of  him,  if  the  copy 
of  the  above  order  was  correct,  and  acknowledged  by  the 
authorities.  Receiving  no  reply  to  either  of  his  communi- 
cations, he  again  gave  to  his  private  secretary  the  third  let- 
ter, to  be  delivered  to  the  Minister  of  Mexico,  which  in- 
formed him,  that  as  it  appeared  to  be  the  pleasure  of  the 
government  not  to  give  him  that  satisfaction  which  he  had 
a  right  to  expect,  he  should  take  the  liberty  to  construe  its 
silence  into  an  acknowledgment  of  the  order,  and  a  deter- 
mination to  persist  in  its  unjust  and  unprecedented  requisi- 
tions.    Accordingly,  being  thus  impressed,  he  could  not 


1 52  T  Ti  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

perceive  any  other  alternative  than  that  he  should  demand 
his  passport,  suspend  his  negotiations  on  the  close  of  that 
day,  and  take  his  departure  for  the  United  States,  if  he  was 
not,  before  the  setting  of  the  sun,  fully  and  satisfactorily  re- 
plied to. 

Gen.  Thompson,  previous  to  his  knowledge  of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  order  expelling  Americans  from  the  Californias, 
had  asked  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  his  recall, 
and  in  anticipation  of  his  permission  had  had  all  of  his  ef- 
fects packed  up  and  shipped  to  Vera  Cruz.  There  was 
nothing,  therefore,  to  detain  him,  being  prepared  at  any  mo- 
ment to  depart  in  the  diligencia,  if  the  Mexican  minister 
should  not  give  him  ample  satisfaction,  if  the  order  had 
been  recognised  by  him, — rescind  the  same, — and  make 
abundant  indemnity  for  all  damages  sustained  through  its 
means  by  American  citizens. 

The  General  did  not  receive  a  reply  till  after  the  close  of 
day.  The  government  evidently  became  alarmed  at  the 
firm  and  manly  course  of  the  American  minister,  and  at  his 
consistency  of  declaration,  having  entered  his  name  on  the 
way-bill  for  Vera  Cruz  on  the  following  morning.  His 
Excellency  Bocanegra,  to  prevent  him  from  leaving  the 
city,  had  embargoed  the  diligencia.  But  after  the  General 
had  retired  to  bed  on  that  night,  he  was  waked  up  to  re- 
ceive a  communication  from  the  minister  of  foreign  rela- 
tions. This  contained  an  apology  for  his  not  having  re- 
ceived a  reply  from  the  government  sooner,  and  acknow- 
ledged, verbatim,  the  truth  of  the  order  made  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  Mexico. 

But  in  "  acknowledging  the  corn,"  as  Mr.  Randolph  said, 
they  stated  in  explanation,  that  the  odious  instrument  was 
not  alone  intended  for  the  citizens  of  the  United  States;  but 
was  also  designed  to  embrace  the  people  of  all  nations ;  and 
that  it  was  not  to  be  put  into  effect,  excepting  against  those 
who  rendered  themselves  detrimental  to  the  peace  of  the 
country,  and  the  good  administration  of  the  government  by 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  J53 

the  Mexican  authorities  ;  stating,  moreover,  that  the  order 
had  been  revoked. 

Now,  in  the  name  of  common  sense,  if  any  one  can  read 
the  order,  how  can  he  say  that  such  a  construction,  tacitly 
or  imphcd,  can  be  put  upon  the  plain  language  of  the  order, 
as  the  explanation  and  apology  assumed. 

Our  minister,  for  the  sake  of  preserving  the  peace  and 
harmony  of  the  two  countries,  accepted  the  explanations, 
and  thus  the  affair  terminated  amicably.  My  own  views 
on  the  above  detailed  negotiation  between  the  two  ministers, 
as  I  remarked  also  to  Gen.  Thompson,  convinced  me  in  re- 
gard to  the  order,  that  it  was  penned  in  a  hostile  and  nefa- 
rious spirit,  looking  at  the  words  of  it  in  the  most  favoura- 
ble aspect;  and  I  feared  much  that  all  friendly  relations 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  had  ceased,  and  that 
the  only  remedy  left  for  the  redress  of  grievances,  on  the 
part  of  the  Union,  was  to  chastise  her  hostile  and  unkind 
neighbour  into  a  just  and  equitable  performance  of  friendly 
relationship.  The  order  had  for  its  character,  a  malicious 
spirit  against  an  exclusive  and  peaceful  population,  who 
should  have  demanded  the  protection  of  the  laws  of  the 
country  for  their  enterprise  and  industrious  habits. 

The  secrecy  employed  by  the  insidious  minister  of  war 
and  navy,  in  issuing  the  order  to  the  different  departments 
for  its  enforcement,  must  appear  to  the  minds  of  all,  to  have 
been  a  deed  of  the  darkest  treachery  which  the  powers  of 
one  nation  could  have  betrayed  towards  another  while  in 
friendly  relations.  And  I  am  convinced,  by  long  reflection 
and  the  accumulation  of  facts,  that  so  wicked,  premeditated 
and  wanton  an  act,  on  the  part  of  Mexico,  should  not  have 
been  permitted  to  be  explained  away,  without  the  assur- 
ances of  an  indemnity  for  our  citizens,  for  loss  and  damages, 
which  might  have  been  sustained  by  the  enforcement  of  the 
order. 

I  do  not  express  my  sentiments  with  a  view  of  giving 
utterance  to  any  unkind  feelings  towards  Gen.  Thompson ; 


154  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

for  that  gentleman  must  be  aware,  that  his  own  friendship 
and  politeness,  extended  towards  me,  would  be  an  honoura- 
ble barrier  against  so  base  a  deed.  On  the  contrary,  I 
have  the  highest  respect  for  his  acknowledged  talents,  his 
years,  and  long  experience  in  public  life,  and  the  services, 
during  which,  he  has  rendered  his  country.  Still,  I  have  no 
doubt,  he  will  excuse  me  when  I  say  that,  although  he  had 
the  United  States  executive  and  senate  to  think  with  him,  I 
would  much  rather  he  should  have  demanded  his  passport 
instead  of  receiving  the  explanation ;  and  thus,  by  refusing 
an  apology,  and  the  false  pretensions  of  the  Mexican  diplo- 
macy, he  would  have  made  them  feel  in  want  of  our 
friendship,  and  caused  them,  like  France,  to  fear  offending 
again. 

The  American  citizens,  who  had  settled  in  the  Californi- 
as,  were  mostly  of  that  most  harmless  of  all  communities, 
namely,  farmers.  And,  by  one  dash  of  the  pen,  a  decree  went 
forth  from  the  national  palace,  by  which  they  were  all,  at  the 
same  time,  obliged  to  sell  their  crops,  stocks  and  lands  at  a 
reduced  price,  in  consequence  of  the  glut  of  the  market. 
This,  perhaps,  was  the  design  of  those  in  authority,  owing 
to  the  many  expulsions  of  the  old  Spaniards,  who,  escaping 
with  their  lives,  yet  lost  their  property  and  valuables. 

It  would  seem  that  the  Mexican  government,  in  their  ani- 
mosity (for  I  can  find  no  other  name  to  apply  to  it)  towards 
the  American  people,  take  great  pleasure  in  persecuting  and 
oppressing  them  whenever  an  opportunity  offers  to  exhibit 
so  unfriendly  a  feeling.  I  am  entirely  at  a  loss  to  conjec- 
ture the  cause,  unless  it  has  its  origin  in  the  fact  that  Gen. 
Santa  Anna  was  defeated  at  San  Jacinto,  and  that  his  pre- 
sent minister  of  war  and  the  navy,  when  in  the  United 
States  in  the  capacity  of  Mexican  minister,  received  a 
horsewhipping  before  Barnum's  hotel  in  Baltimore.  And  I 
would  here  express  the  opinion,  that  I  know  of  no  power 
on  earth  that  Mexico  should  make  her  best  friend  more  than 
the  United  States. 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 


155 


But,  as  I  was  about  to  remark,  the  disagreeable  afiair  of 
the  order  was  hardly  over  before  the  American  minister 
obtained  information,  through  a  highly  respectable  Spanish 
gentleman,  that  in  the  department  of  Sonora,  of  which  Gen. 
Urrea,  of  Texian  memory,  is  governor  and  general,  at  the 
town  of  Guymas,  there  had  been,  for  some  time,  two  Ame- 
ricans loaded  with  chains  and  confined  in  prison. 

The  information  reported  to  the  American  legation  was, 
that  while  the  prisoners  professed  ignorance  of  having  of- 
fended against  the  laws  of  Mexico,  they  had  respectfully 
demanded  a  trial,  feeling  innocent  of  any  real  or  unknown 
allegations ;  but  then,  in  every  instance,  they  had  failed  in 
obtaining  justice  under  the  Mexican  laws.  They  had  re- 
peatedly written  to  the  American  minister  at  the  capital, 
calling  upon  him  to  aid  them  in  obtaining  their  liberty,  and 
redress  their  grievances. 

As  the  American  minister  never  received  their  letters,  it 
was  concluded  that  they  were  intercepted.  It  was  there- 
fore agreed,  between  the  prisoners  and  the  Spanish  gentle- 
man, that,  while  on  a  visit  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  having  to  re- 
main there  some  time,  they  should  address  their  letters  to  him, 
and  thereby  the  legation  would  become  possessed  of  their 
appeal.  My  departure  from  the  city  taking  place  before 
any  action  had  been  commenced  in  favour  of  the  unfortu- 
nate prisoners,  I  never  learned  their  ultimate  fate. 

If  I  am  asked — Who  are  the  Mexicans  1 — of  what  people 
are  they? — I  would  reply,  that  they  are  the  descendants  of 
the  Aztec  and  Tezcucan  races,  partly  mixed  with  the  Spa- 
nish blood ;  and  the  Mexican  has  no  reason  to  be  disparaged 
in  being  reminded  of  his  ancestry,  for  an  admired  historian 
has  remarked,  that  "  enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  the 
Aztec  and  Tezcucan  races  were  advanced  in  civilization 
very  far  beyond  the  wandering  tribes  of  North  America. 
The  degree  of  civilization  which  they  had  reached,  as  in- 
ferred from  their  political  institutions,  may  be  considered, 
perhaps,  not  much  short  of  that  enjoyed  by  our  Saxon  an- 


156  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

cestors  under  Alfred.  In  respect  to  the  nature  of  it,  they 
may  be  better  compared  with  the  Egyptians ;  and  the  exa- 
mination of  their  social  relations  and  culture  may  suggest 
still  stronger  points  of  resemblance  to  that  ancient  people." 

I  have  been  taught  to  believe  that  a  mingling  of  the  Eu- 
ropean with  the  Indian  blood  in  North  America,  and  parti- 
cularly in  my  own  state  of  Virginia,  was  a  good  cross  of 
the  human  species.  For  in  the  Old  Dominion  there  are  nu- 
merous individuals  who  pride  themselves  on  their  Indian 
parentage,  and  who,  for  their  acquirements  and  position  in 
the  civil  and  military  history  of  the  country,  stand  unrival- 
led by  any  of  their  fellow-citizens. 

In  the  primitive  history  of  every  nation,  there  is  mention 
made  of  their  barbarous  and  superstitious  rites  in  the  wor- 
ship of  their  deities.  The  Mexicans,  when  the  country  was 
first  discovered  by  the  Europeans,  had  many  claims  to  the 
character  of  a  civilized  people.  And  I  cannot  conceive 
why  more  odium  should  be  attributed  to  the  religious  wor- 
ship of  aboriginal  Americans,  who  sacrificed  human  vic- 
tims at  the  shrines  of  their  altars,  without  the  light  of  truth 
and  revelation;  while  with  every  denomination,  and  every 
nation  in  Christendom,  the  smoke  of  hecatombs  of  martyrs 
has  blackened  the  heavens,  amid  the  frantic  shouts  of  fiend- 
ish priests. 

When  we  contemplate  the  comparative  difference  in  the 
advance  of  civilization  of  the  Christian  race,  who  continu- 
ally hold  a  direct  communication  with  heaven,  through  the 
patriarchs  and  prophets,  and,  lastly,  by  the  presence  of  the 
Son  of  God  himself,  and  then  draw  a  retrospect  of  the  Mex- 
ican, shut  out  from  a  communion  with  his  Maker,  with  no- 
thing but  the  light  of  nature  to  illuminate  his  benighted  way; 
confined  on  a  narrow  strip  of  land,  between  two  vast  oceans, 
and  the  ceremonies  of  whose  faith  partake,  in  some  in- 
stances, of  those  of  the  Christian  church ;  I  cannot  but  ad- 
mire his  majesty,  and  consider  him  a  part  of  the  noblest 
workmanship  of  the  great  Architect  of  creation. 


TRAVELS    INMEX  ICO.  jt^^ 

As  an  author,  whom  we  have  before  quoted,  remarks — 
"  One  may  perhaps  better  understand  the  anomaly  by  re- 
flecting on  the  condition  of  some  of  the  most  polished  coun- 
tries of  Europe  in  the  sixteenth  century,  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  modern  inquisition  ;  an  institution  which  yearly 
destroyed  its  thousands  by  a  death  more  painful  than  the  Az- 
tec sacrifices ;  which  raised  the  hand  of  brother  against  bro- 
ther, and  setting  its  burning  seal  upon  the  lip,  did  more  to 
stay  the  march  of  improvement  than  any  other  scheme  ever 
devised  by  human  cunning.  Human  sacrifices,  however  cru- 
el, have  nothing  in  them  degrading  to  their  victim.  It  may  be 
rather  said  to  ennoble  him,  by  devoting  him  to  the  gods.  Al- 
though so  terrible  with  the  Aztecs,  it  was  sometimes  volun- 
tarily embraced  by  them,'  as  the  most  glorious  death,  and 
one  that  opened  a  sure  passage  into  paradise.  The  inquisi- 
tion, on  the  other  hand,  branded  its  victims,  as  also  the 
stake,  with  infamy  in  this  world,  and  consigned  them  to 
everlasting  perd'tion  in  the  next." 

I  am  persuaded  in  the  opinion,  that  if  the  present  race  of 
Mexicans  were  taught  a  just  abhorrence  of  fraud  and  crime, 
so  that  a  committal  of  such  deeds  could  be  reached  and 
punished  by  the  laws  of  the  country ;  and  if  they  were 
instructed  to  dread  the  anger  of  heaven  for  such  acts  of 
wickedness,  his  mildness  of  disposition,  and  native  since- 
rity of  manners,  would  make  him  one  of  the  most  ami- 
able of  the  human  species.  No  one  can  visit  Mexico  with- 
out being  forcibly  impressed  with  the  polished  politeness  and 
kind  demeanour  of  the  inhabitants,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  are  ever  ready  to  offer  their  kind  services  to  forward 
the  intentions  of  the  traveller. 

But  I  would  here  caution  those  intending  to  journey 
through  that  country  to  beware ;  as  under  the  most  accom- 
plished debonair  of  manners  and  oflfers  of  friendship  the 
darkest  deeds  are  concealed.  A  foreigner  cannot  be  intro- 
duced to  a  Mexican  without  having  his  immediate  proffer 


158 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


to  be  of  service  to  him,  and  an  inquiry  of  in  what  manner 
his  assistance  may  be  required. 

And  again  I  would-  say,  that  from  the  experience  of  a 
toilsome  journey,  and  my  intercourse  with  the  people  of 
Mexico  for  many  months,  the  stranger  should  judge  well  of 
the  individual  in  whom  he  may  place  confidence. 

I  once  heard  an  American  citizen  express  his  desire,  that 
the  abrupt  and  often  overbearing  deportment  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen  could  be  exchanged  for  the  due  deference  and 
agreeable  easy  politeness  of  the  Mexicans.  But  as  I  am 
not  writing  a  book  upon  the  manners  and  customs  of  my 
own  country,  I  shall  not  express  my  sentiments  on  this  in- 
teresting subject. 

The  egotism  and  love  of  country  of  the  Mexicans  is  un- 
paralleled. While  he  thinks  his  native  land  the  best  on  the 
glo^,  his  opinion  of  himself  does  not  degenerate ;  for  he 
believes  that  his  people  are  the  most  learned  and  pious  in 
the  world ;  hence  his  prejudice  to  foreigners,  and  opposition 
to  improvement.  When  a  foreigner  has  embraced  all  of 
his  sentiments  and  maxims,  and  in  every  thing  fashioned 
himself  after  his  ways,  he  will  then  be  tolerated,  as  all  pro- 
selytes are,  by  the  opinionated  and  bigoted,  as  having  been 
redeemed  from  ignorance  and  superstition. 

The  Mexicans  are  a  motley  race,  reflecting  a  complex- 
ion in  proportion  with  their  mixture  with  the  European  blood, 
and  exhibiting,  as  it  were,  numberless  hues  in  the  same 
crowd.  At  the  city  of  Mexico,  I  beheld  every  imaginable 
colour  of  skin  that  human  beings  possess,  excepting  that  of 
the  African ;  for  of  this  latter  race  I  met  with  none,  as  ne- 
groes are  hardly  ever  to  be  seen  at  any  distance  from  the 
coasts ;  and  also,  from  an  early  antipathy  of  the  Mexicans 
to  the  black  man,  but  few  had  ever  been  imported  into  that 
country. 

But  to  redeem  my  promise,  as  made  in  the  second  chap- 
ter of  this  book,  I  will  now  attempt  to  give  some  reasons 
for  the  great  solemnity  and  sedateness  of  the  Mexican's 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jgg 

expression  of  countenance.  Mr.  Prcscolt  remarks  tliat, 
"  In  their  faltering  steps,  and  meek  and  melancholy  aspect, 
we  read  the  sad  characteristics  of  a  conquered  race." 

There  is  another  reason  assigned  by  historians  for  their 
gravity  of  aspect,  which  supposes  it  to  have  been  first  im- 
parted by  the  loathsome  and  revolting  oceans  of  human  sa- 
crifices so  frequently  presented  to  the  public  view.  And, 
again,  notwithstanding  they  had  obtained  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, after  tlie  conquest,  yet  the  introduction  of  the  inqui- 
sition along  with  it,  continued  to  keep  among  the  people  the 
oppression  of  spirit  and  dejection  of  countenance  which  has 
been  engrafted  upon  posterity. 

If  I  should  venture  to  give  my  own  opinion,  I  would  say 
that  this  peculiarity  of  feature  is  to  be  mostly  attributed  to 
the  climate ;  for  in  all  nations  of  tropical  regions,  the  p(:^u- 
lation  exhibit  a  languid  and  grave  appearance.  And  if  an 
artist,  judging  from  what  I  have  seen  of  painting,  attempts 
to  represent  a  being  oppressed  by  heat,  he  delineates  very 
much  of  the  same  expression  visible  on  the  countenance  of 
the  Mexican.  A  learned  philosopher  once  remarked,  that 
he  would  never  have  confidence  in  any  one  who  could  not 
blush ;  and  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  he  would  find  few  in 
Mexico  in  whom  to  confide. 


160 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Climate  of  the  A'alley  of  Mexico.  The  climate  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  Plains  without 
watei-.  Artificial  dams.  Monopoly  of  Agiiciiltiife.  Inteifeiencc  of  the  law.  Landed 
estates  of  Mexico.  Table  of  population.  Wealth  of  the  inhabitants.  Majority  of  the 
people  in  poverty.  Different  castes.  Want  of  confidence.  Previous  to  the  revolution. 
The  golden  age.  Embezzlement  of  Canalizo.  Products  of  the  Mines.  Solvency  of 
Mexico.  Forced  loans.  Anecdote.  The  people  of  Mexico  easy  to  govern.  A  correct 
idea  of  (he  ministry  of  Mexico.  Capt.  Coin.  Deformity  in  Church  as  in  State.  My  in- 
tentions.    The  Bishop  bribed.     Matrimony. 

The  climate  of  the  valley  of  Mexico  is  considered  to  be 
the  most  delightful  and  desirable  of  any  other  known  region. 
The  valley  of  Mexico  is  7,550  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  The  capital,  from  its  elevated  position,  and  its  being 
not  more  than  19*^  north  latitude,  is  never  excessively  hot 
in  summer ;  but  to  the  contrary,  as  long  residents  in  that 
country  informed  me,  it  is  agreeably  warm — sufficiently  so 
to  make  vegetation  generate  luxuriantly,  as  I  observed  it 
also  will  in  the  winter  months.  Yet  it  cannot  be  supposed  to 
compare  during  the  winter  months  with  that  state  of  per- 
fection which  the  summer  season  produces.  The  nights  are 
cool,  sufficiently  so  to  render  the  couch  pleasant,  was  it  not 
for  the  fleas  and  other  insects. 

The  climate  of  the  republic  of  Mexico  is  by  no  means 
universal.  The  plains  have  a  temperature  generally  of  62° 
Fahrenheit.  The  phenomena  of  climate  that  exist  in  Mex- 
ico are  singularly  peculiar  to  that  country,  not  being  known 
to  any  other  regions  of  the  earth;  for  the  traveller  cannot 
cross  a  mountain,  without  finding  its  opposite  sides  varying 
in  temperature.  This  results  from  the  higher  elevation  of 
some  plains  above  others  ;  and  thus  it  is  that  from  the  mini- 
mum of  G2°,  many  of  the  valleys,  as  likewise  the  coasts  on 
either  side  of  the  continent,  vary  in  temperature  to  the  max- 
imum of  120°  of  heat.     Hence  it  is  that  the  stranger  in 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


161 


Mexico  will  hear  of  the  tobacco — the  sugar — the  cotton — 
and  the  cocoa  regions. 

The  best  tobacco  regions  are  said  to  be  in  Tobasco,  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Orizava  mountains.  The  sugar  re- 
gions are  principally  in  the  valleys  south  of  the  city  of 
Mexico,  adjoining  the  Popocatepetl  mountain,  as  also  in  the 
hot  countries  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts.  Cotton 
grows  to  its  greatest  perfection  at  Paris,  in  the  department 
of  San  Louis  ;  while  cocoa  flourishes  at  Tampico. 

The  climate  varies  very  much  in  regions  adjacent  to  each 
other,  and  it  often  happens  that  products  which  are  cultiva- 
ted on  one  side  of  a  mountain,  cannot  come  to  the  same 
perfection  on  the  opposite  one.  Wheat  and  corn  produce 
admirably  in  any  of  those  regions,  where  the  land  can  be 
irrigated ;  and  often  much  expense  is  incurred  in  conduct- 
ing the  water  from  the  mountains  over  the  plains.  However 
in  some  parts  of  the  country,  on  the  first  elevation  from  the 
coast,  nature  has  most  accommodatingly  performed  the  task 
without  the  aid  of  mountain  streams ;  as  I  witnessed  on  the 
high  lands  between  Jalapa  and  Perote.  This  economy  of 
nature  is  owing  to  the  descent  of  the  clouds  in  that,  as  in 
some  other  regions,  as  I  have  understood,  to  the  surface, 
and,  as  they  gently  sweep  over  the  land,  the  vegetation  and 
the  earth  absorb  the  aqueous  vapour  contained  in  them. 

On  plains  through  which  no  streams  flow,  and  the  moun- 
tains fail  to  supply  water,  the  ingenuity  of  man  has  invented 
a  mode  by  which  the  deficiency  may  be  remedied.  Where 
one  plain  has  an  elevation  of  one  portion  above  the  remain- 
der, a  dam  will  be  thrown  from  one  hill  to  the  other,  across 
the  uneven  surface,  and  in  some  instances  across  the  ravines 
of  mountains.  During  the  three  rainy  months  of  the  year, 
these  reservoirs  will  be  filled  wuth  water,  and  thus  the  far- 
mer can  in  any  month  irrigate  his  crops,  and  have  his  land 
in  perpetual  cultivation.  However,  as  such  an  improvement 
is  costly,  and  but  few  portions  of*he  country  afford  the  fa- 
cilities, at  least  two-thirds  of  the  arable  lands  of  Mexico  are 
11 


162 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


barren  wastes  that  can  only  be  appropriated  to  the  purposes 
of  grazing.  And  hence  it  is  that  that  country  has  ever  been 
famous  for  its  abundance  of  stock,  the  proprietor  of  the  soil 
being  unable  to  derive  profits  from  his  estates,  otherwise 
than  by  herding. 

What  must  ever  be  a  source  of  regret  and  oppression  to 
the  people  of  Mexico  is,  that  the  government  has  grasped 
the  monopoly  of  some  articles  of  agriculture,  at  the  same 
time  they  require  its  permission  to  grow  their  crops,  and  for 
this  privilege  they  have  to  take  a  license  or  pay  a  bo- 
nus. Although  the  invaluable  articles  of  maize,  or  Indian 
corn,  and  black  beans  are  freely  granted  to  be  cultivated 
any  where,  yet  by  statutes  of  the  land,  or  by  the  decrees  of 
the  Dictator,  the  cultivation  of  all  other  crops  are  prohibit- 
ed, excepting  to  particular  portions  of  the  country,  the  far- 
mers of  those  particular  localities  having  to  pay  for  the  pre- 
rogative. 

The  government  of  Mexico  is  the  purchaser  of  all  the  to- 
bacco the  planter  has  for  market ;  and  only  through  the 
Stancer,  an  officer  of  the  government,  can  the  article  be 
retailed  to  the  people.  It  cannot  be  difficult  to  imagine  the 
unhappy  results  of  the  interference  of  the  law  in  regulating 
agriculture;  for  so  far  from  the  government  acting  with  dis- 
interestedness and  good  faith  with  the  people — like  individ- 
uals it  seeks  first  its  own  emolument,  then  leaving  them  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  it  abandons  the  doctrine  of  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  social  compacts — that  the  law  should 
have  a  singleness  of  purpose  in  protecting  labour  and  the 
rights  of  property  of  i^  constituents,  and  not  by  its  acts  to 
trample  upon  the  one,  and  speculate  upon  the  other.  Such 
has  ever  been  the  result  of  legislation  in  every  country, 
where  the  avariciousness  of  the  rulers  of  the  good  people 
has  taken  the  management  of  their  own,  and  properly,  pri- 
vate affairs  out  of  their  hands. 

In  Mexico,  by  the  restifictions  imposed  upon  agriculture, 
the  monopoly  of  the  government  has  beggared  thousands, 


TRAVELS   IN    MEXICO.  jgg 

who  are  obliged  to  indulge  in  their  favourite  propensity  of 
theft  and  highway  robbery — for  the  proprietor  of  the  soil 
has  not  the  want  of  their  labour,  and  the  factories  have  no 
employment  for  them. 

One  other  remark  I  wish  to  make  before  closing  my  com- 
•ments  on  this  head.  Out  of  a  population  of  about  seven 
millions  of  souls,  it  is  believed  by  many  intelligent  gentle- 
men with  whom  I  conversed,  that  less  than  five  hundred 
thousand  people  are  the  owners  of  all  the  landed  estates  in 
Mexico ;  and  the  melancholy  fact  as  presented  by  the  face 
of  the  country  is,  that  the  unequal  division  of  property 
among  the  inhabitants  must  unhappily  be  as  lasting  as  it  is 
a  country.  In  consequence  of  its  not  raining  for  nine 
months  in  the  twelve,  and  there  being  but  few  streams  flow- 
ing from  the  mountains  to  the  ocean,  a  small  tract  of  land, 
of  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  acres,  would  be  worthless  to 
the  possessor,  unless  it  was  located  on  one  of  the  compara- 
tively few  lakes  and  rivers. 

The  man  of  moderate  circumstances,  separate  from  those 
choice  spots  of  land,  is  effectually  debarred  from  desiring 
or  purchasing  on  the  plains  generally.  For,  in  the  first 
place,  a  small  tract  would  be  worthless  to  him — and  in  the 
next,  his  inability  to  buy  an  extent  of  territory  equivalent  in 
dimensions  to  any  of  the  counties  of  our  States,  renders  it 
impossible  for  any  but  the  affluent  in  circumstances  to  enjoy 
landed  property.  In  most  places  lands  skirting  the  water 
cannot  be  bought,  for  if  offered  for  sale,  the  extensive  pro- 
prietor would  be  parting  with  the  privilege  of  irrigation, 
which  alone  rendered  the  whole  of^ny  value. 

The  reader  will  readily  imagine,  in  the  heterogeneous 
mass  of  the  population  of  Mexico,  the  vast  disproportion  of 
lazarones  and  vagrants,  who  drag  out  a  wretched  and  mis- 
erable existence,  houseless,  penniless  and  friendless,  and 
who,  w'hcn  dead,  unshrouded  and  uncoffined,  are  thrown  into 
their  shallow  home,  as  if  their  mother  earth  spurned  then* 
from-her  bosom,  to  rot  as  beasts  of  the  field. 


> 


Jg4  TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 

The  census  of  the  population  of  Mexico,  it  is  said,  can 
not  be  accurately  taken.  From  the  various  estimates 
made  by  those  having  the  best  opportunities  of  kiwwing,  a 
table  was  furnished  me  by  a  gentleman  who,  from  his  long 
residence  in  the  country,  and  by  some  attention  paid  to  the 
subject,  may  be  relied  on  as  measurably  correct. 

Table  of  Population. 

^  Indians,           ....  4,500,000 

Other  castes,  -         -         -         -  3,000,000 

Negroes,         .        -        .        -  6,000 


Total,     -         -         -         7,506,000 

From  "the  consideration  of  the  climate,  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  the  population  of  Mexico,  it  may  not  here  be  im- 
proper to  devote  a  few  thoughts  upon  the  wealth  of  its  in- 
habitants and  its  resources. 

As  for  the  wealth  of  the  Mexicans,  as  already  remarked, 
the  great  majority  of  them  are  in  abject  poverty,  and  sub- 
sist only  by  begging,  or  by  their  daily  labour. 

Four  of  the  seven  millions  of  inhabitants  are  Indians,  and 
with  very  few  exceptions  they  are  not  owners  of  property. 
The  rich  people  of  Mexico  are  very  wealthy,  being  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  soil,  and  the  holders  of  the  real  estates  in 
towns.  Before  the  revolution,  as  now,  agreeable  to  Spanish 
customs,  money  was  hoarded  by  the  rich  in  their  houses,  and 
never  loaned  upon  interest — and  not  unfrequently  do  they 
run  their  gold  and  silv^  into  bars  and  secrete  them  at  their 
haciendas  or  palaces  in  town. 

An  instance  is  related  that,  during  the  revolution,  the  re- 
nowned Mina  visited  the  hacienda  of  Jaral,  who  being  in- 
formed that  the  Conde  had  secreted  his  money  at  that  farm, 
ordered  a  search,  which  resulted  in  the  soldiers  finding  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  actual  cash.  This  practice  of 
burying  money  has  resulted  in  the  loss  of  millions  to  circu- 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  jgc 

lation — for  in  Mexico,  owing  to  the  total  ivant  of  confidence 
in  the  nearest  relatives,  the  father,  or  the  brother  often  dies 
without  communicating  to  survivors  the  place  of  the  secret 
deposit  of  their  hidden  treasure. 

I  have  heard  it  remarked  that  the  earth  of  Mexico  con- 
tained coin  and  bars  of  precious  metals,  equivalent  in 
amount  to  the  proceeds  of  all  the  mines  for  one  year. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  Spaniards  of  Vera  Cruz,  during  the 
first  revolution,  conceiving  of  no  other  mode  of  preserving 
their  valuables,  buried  their  money  at  Mango  de  Clavo, 
which  ultimately  resulted  in  Santa  Anna's  securing  eight 
thousand  doubloons,  and  the  shameful  incarceration  of  six 
deluded  men  in  a  dungeon. 

Previous  to  the  revolution,  when  the  country  was  under 
the  more  happy  management  of  the  old  Spaniards,  so  con- 
siderable was  the  amount  of  bullion  in  Mexico,  that  some 
of  the  wealthy  would  gratify  their  pride,  when  going  to  ce- 
lebrate the  baptism  of  their  children,  in  laying  bars  of  gold 
and  silver  in  a  continued  row  from  their  houses  to  the  very 
altar  of  the  church,  and  upon  the  precious  metals  the  holy 
priest  would  walk  to  the  sanctuary  to  perform  the  baptismal 
services. 

But  the  golden  age  of  those  days  has  passed  away  with 
the  Mexicans,  by  the  too  often  occurrence  of  revolutions, 
and  the  crippled  commerce  of  their  country ;  as  also  by  the 
many  profitable  mines  having  gone  out  of  their  possession 
into  that  of  English  companies ;  as  well  as  by  the  neglect  of 
the  working  of  others.  Yet  the  private  fortunes  of  some  in- 
dividuals are  considerable ;  for  I  was  assured  that  the  Con- 
desa  de  la  Cortena,  a  rich  widow,  is  in  the  constant  habit  of 
making  a  regular  donation  to  her  son  of  five  thousand  dol- 
lars monthly ;  and  of  her  fourteen  agents,  one  of  them  col-  • 
lects  and  pays  her  eighty  thousand  dollars  quarterly. 

So  repeatedly  did  I  hear,  during  my  stay  in  Mexico,  of  a 
piece  of  slander,  if  slander  it  is,  that  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
giving  it  publicity.     It  is  said  that  General  Canalizo,  who 


jgg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

was  appointed  Provisional  Dictator  by  Santa  Anna,  in  two 
months  after  he  went  into  power,  purchased  and  paid  for  an 
estate  worth  two  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and  that  pre- 
vious to  his  appointment  he  was  not  worth  one  half  that  sum. 
It  is  proverbial  in  Mexico,  that  to  be  a  cabinet  officer  is  to 
make  a  fortune. 

The  revolution  of  Mexico  has  yet  to  result  in  its  benefi- 
cial cfiects  to  its  people,  for  the  mining  interest  has  declined 
in  the  general  wreck  and  niin  of  the  country.  A  table  of 
the  products  of  all  the  mines  in  the  several  departments,  is 
here  subjoined.  It  is  a  quotation  from  a  new  journal  issued 
while  I  was  in  Mexico,  in  opposition  to  the  present  systent^ 
of  government. 

Product  of  the  Mines, 

Mexico,      -  -  .  .  2,004,988 

Zacatecas,  .  .  _  5,028,655 

Guanajuato,  .      -  -  -  3,476,820 

Duraugo,     -  -  -  .  876,287 

Guadalajara,  -  -  -  908,052 

Chihuahua,  -  -  -  568,056 


Total,  -  -  -    $13,979,714 

As  for  the  solvency  of  the  Mexican  govemment,  the 
British  claims  alone,  without  regard  to  any  other  liabilities, 
amount,  it  is  said,  to  ninety  millions  of  dollars.  The  go- 
vernment, under  its  accustomed  bad  management,  has  made 
forced  loans  from  private  individuals  to  pay  the  interest  and 
instalments  of  debts ;  and  notwithstanding  this  has  so  often 
been  resorted  to,  yet  the  prodigality  and  individual  grasping 
of  the  rulers,  checks  any  improvement  in  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  country. 

Forced  loans  are  made  regardless  of  all  remonstrance, 
and  very  naturally  exasperated  the  minds  of  the  public 
against  the  nation,  for  whose  benefit  the  payment  is  to  be 


TRAVELS    IN'    MEXICO. 


1G7 


made,  instead  of  the  tyrants  who  impose  the  necessity  of  it. 
An  anecdote  is  related,  that  wiicn  Santa  Anna  was  making 
up  the  first  payment  of  the  American  indemnity,  among 
other  citizens  whom  he  sent  for,  to  levy  his  contributions 
upon,  was  one  Sefior  Don  Luis  Alimeno,  who  had  formerly 
been  a  foreign  minister.  Upon  the  arrival  of  this  citizen,  he 
was  required  to  subscribe  a  liberal  share  of  the  indemnity ; 
but  he  replied  to  the  Dictator,  that  he  had  no  money.  The 
despot  said,  "  put  down  the  citizen's  wife  for  ten  thousand 
dollars ;  she  is  worth  the  property." 

The  people  of  Mexico  are  certainly  the  easiest  in  the 
world  to  govern,  or  else  they  would  not  suffer  themselves  to 
be  oppressed  in  so  grievous  a  manner  by  their  government. 
Santa  Anna  being  informed  that  the  issue  of  copper  coin 
was  too  abundant,  hurled  forth  a  decree,  calling  into  the 
mints  all  of  that  currency.  The  holders,  without  delay, 
complied  with  the  order,  and  received  in  return,  not  the 
cash,  but  government  scrip.  Although  the  copper  coin  in 
the  hands  of  the  people  amounted  to  two  millions  of  dollars, 
yet  the  holders  of  the  scrip  have  not,  nor  can  any  one 
tell  when  they  will  receive  the  just  amounts  of  their 
funds. 

To  give  a  correct  idea  as  to  how  the  government  of  Mex- 
ico pays  the  honourable  demands  against  it,  I  will  relate  a 
case,  the  claimant  in  which,  I  was  acquainted  with,  and 
from  whom  I  had,  from  day  to  day,  a  history  of  the  trans- 
actions as  they  happened.  While  in  the  city,  there  arrived 
an  Irish  gentleman,  a  Captain  Coin,  from  the  city  of 
Dublin.  He  had,  some  two  or  three  years  previous,  sold  to 
the  government  of  Mexico  a  steamer  called  the  City  of  Dub- 
lin, for  which  he  never  received  the  pay  agreeable  to  con- 
tract; consequently,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  visiting 
Mexico  to  recover  the  debt.  On  his  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz, 
he  visited  Santa  Anna,  who  was  then  at  Mango  de  Clavo, 
and  obtained  an  order  from  him  on  Senor  Don  Trigueros, 
the  Minister  of  Finance,  payable  on  sight  to  Captain  Coin 


jgg  TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 

for  tlie  steamer.  On  the  Captain's  presenting  the  order  to 
the  honourable  minister,  he  \vas  informed  by  him  that  tliere 
was  no  money  in  the  treasury ;  but  that  he  would  give  him, 
on  his  own  account,  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  his  claim  of 
sixty  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty.  Captain  C.  insisted 
on  the  payment  of  the  full  amount,  and  proposed  to  accept 
an  order  on  the  collector  of  the  customs  at  Vera  Cruz  for 
the  sum.  This  was  refused,  and  the  Captain  was  obliged 
to  suffer  himself  to  be  shaved  by  the  minister  of  the  treasu- 
ry, or  else  wait  for  his  money  an  interminable  length  of 
time. 

There  are  things  of  deformity  in  the  church,  as  well  as 
the  state  in  this  country ;  carried  on  by  bribery  and  corrup- 
tion. And  here  I  would  take  occasion  to  remark,  that  it 
has  not  been  my  design  to  hunt  up  matter  far  fetched  and 
unauthenticatcd,  for  the  purpose  of  exasperating  the  public 
mind  against  a  nation  already  rendered  sufficiently  odious, 
alike  for  the  want  of  honour,  and  the  perpetration  of  barbar- 
ous cruelties.  My  only  intention  is,  to  give  a  few  promi- 
nent features  of  the  daily  practices  of  those  in  high  as  well 
as  low  places ;  so  that  my  readers  may  hav^e  some  data  by 
which  to  judge  of  the  moral  and  political  character  of  the 
Mexican  people.  Such  an  independent  course,  in  my  opi- 
nion, should  be  pursued  by  the  journalist  regardless  of  cri- 
ticism or  the  hope  of  flattery.  Nothing  I  would  so  much 
regret,  knowing  as  I  do  the  faithlessness  and  dishonour  of 
the  Mexicans,  as  to  delude  a  seeker  for  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  true  cliaractcr  of  a  people,  whose  country  per- 
haps it  may  be  his  wish  to  visit  or  reside  in.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, not  attempt  to  seek  the  praise  or  encomiums  of  any, 
by  vouching  for  the  virtue  of  the  few,  hard  to  find,  or  dread 
the  contradictions  and  anathemas  of  those  who  have  never 
had  the  experience  of  travel,  or  who  may  otherwise  be  lu- 
cratively interested. 

I  therefore  say,  that  there  are  Mammon  discre])ancies,  in 
church  as  well  as  in  state,  emanating  from  the  very  throne 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  jgg 

of  tlieir  earthly  divinil}'.  The  British  government  having 
neglected  to  insert  an  article  in  their  treaty  with  ^Mexico, 
requiring  of  that  government  to  make  valid  the  marriages 
of  British  protestants  performed  in  that  country ;  and  also, 
to  give  power  to  her  consuls  to  administer  the  matrimonial 
ceremony, — Englishmen  are  subject  to  the  inconvenience 
and  expense  of  visiting  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  there  by  bri- 
bery to  obtain  the  nuptial  tie  of  the  Archbishop;  the  mar- 
riage being  null  and  void  otherwise,  both  by  the  religious 
canons  and  the  laws  of  the  land.  Of  what  avail  are  the 
high  fiats  of  heaven,  or  the  positive  statutes  of  a  country,  if 
money  isto  set  aside  the  one,  and  cover  the  other  ?  Verily, 
the  god  of  jMammon  is  supreme  over  heaven  and  earth — the 
Dictator,  too,  perhaps.  An  instance  of  the  above  described 
state  of  things  came  under  my  own  knowledge ;  as  the  par- 
ties I  became  acquainted  with,  and  a  happy  couple  they 
were;  where  it  cost  the  gentleman  two  thousand  dollars  to 
Uhgally  marry  his  wife. 


170  T  R  A  V  £  L  S    1  \    M  E  X  1  C  O 


CHAPTER   XL 


Graliliide  to  T.  Ducoine.  Left  the  city  of  Mexico  the  8th  January.  A  Mexican  pnssen- 
gt-r.  Attenipted  coiiversalion.  Chocolate.  Anaiigenieiits.  My  first  day's  joiii-ney. 
Extensive  plain.  Mountain  scenery.  Volcanic  eruptions.  Valleys  divested  of  forest. 
'I'he  soil  generally  shallow.  The  rocks.  Haciendas.  Stone  walls.  Orgono  hedges. 
Fields  without  enclosure.  The  manure  of  a  hacienda.  Splendid  scenery.  No  improved 
roads  north.  Natural  ways.  Mijico.  Dined  at  Cula.  Description  of  Dinner.  Chille. 
My  first  night's  lodging.  When  day  dawned.  Table  land.  Arroyo  Zarco.  The  mo- 
ther of  the  driver.  Fast  driving.  Cross-bar  broke.  Ladrones.  San  Juan  del  Kio. 
Conversation  and  smoking  of  two  Mexicans.  View  of  Guerctero.  Aqueduct.  A  priest 
and  the  revolution.  A  walk  at  night.  Plaza  lights.  Lost.  Guitar.  Moonlight. 
Starting  of  the  diligeneia.  Ladrones.  Escape.  Celaye.  Monument.  Mexicans  dress- 
ed as  Indians.  The  Pope  and  the  Catholic  religion.  Three  Spaniards  of  old  Spain. 
Language.  Politeness.  Landlord.  Cotton  goods.  Third  day's  travel.  Guanajuato. 
Darkness  of  the  night.  Dinner.  Night's  ramble  in  the  street.  Visit  to  Mexican  ladies. 
Conversation  and  entertainment.  Departure  from  Guanajuato,  Mines  of  Guanajuato. 
Magnificent  present.  Detection  of  fraud  in  the  Mint.  Level  country.  Siloa.  Leon. 
Arrival  at  Lagos.  Lake  region.  Loss  of  sleep.  Settlements  with  my  Mexican  friend. 
\\aked  up  alone.  Chocolate.  Letter  of  introduction.  My  difficulty.  Fruitless  efforts 
to  be  understood.  Fortunate  arrival  of  a  Mexican.  Attention  of  the  inhabitants.  Doct. 
Tesus  Anaya.  Interpreter.  A  large  party  of  travellers.  A  party  of  Americans.  Ap- 
pi-arance  of  the  travellers.  Tyler's  message  to  Congress.  Manner  of  warfare  upon  Mex- 
ico. No  want  of  water  at  Lagos.  Vegetables  and  fruits.  Bathing.  Walk.  Paintings 
of  the  houses.  American  negro.  Practice  of  medicine  in  Mexico.  Angel  Gabiiel. 
Simon's  wounds.  The  evening  of  the  second  day.  Arrival  of  the  diligeneia.  An  Ame- 
rican passenger.     Proposi.,1  journey. 

I  .SHALL  ever  feel  grateful  to  Mr.  Theodore  Ducoine, 
a  native  of  Philadelphia,  of  the  largest  American  house 
in  the  city  of  Mexico,  for  the  assistance  he  rendered  me  in 
forwarding  my  departure  from  the  capitol;  which  took 
place  on  the  night  of  the  8th  of  January ;  a  day  memorable 
in  the  history  of  my  own  country. 

I  left  the  city  of  Mexico  in  the  diligeneia  for  Lagos,  a 
distance  of  four  days'  and  nights'  travel.  When  I  was 
awakened  to  take  my  seat,  I  found  that  there  was  one  other 
passenger,  and  that  the  individual  I  w-as  destined  to  travel 
with,  w  as  a  Mexican,  and  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  gen- 
tleman. 

Having  taken  our  scats,  the  Mexican  saluted  me  by  say- 
ing, "  Bucno  luAche  Scnur,"  Good  night,  Sir,— to  which  I  res- 
ponded, "■  A7/  gratias  Senor,''  I  thank  you,  Sir ;  by  which  I 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


171 


presume  my  fellow  passenger  very  naturally  concluded, 
from  my  answering  him  so  readily,  that,  although  a  foreign- 
er, I  was  familiar  with  the  Spanish  tongue.  No  sooner  had 
we  passed  over  the  pavement  of  the  city,  than  he  began  a 
conversation  with  me  in  his  own  language,  to  which  I  was 
obliged  repeatedly  to  reply,  JVo  intendi,  Senor,  I  do  not  un- 
derstand, Sir ;  for  I  had  not  been  long  enough  in  the  coun- 
try to  have  studied  the  Spanish  ;  and  I  could  not  consequent- 
ly undertake  a  conversation  in  that  language.  However, 
he  seemed  to  persist  in  his  loquaciousness,  while  the  only 
defence  I  had,  was  to  keep  up  a  volley  of  English,  which, 
for  short  periods,  would  attract  the  attention  of  the  Mexi- 
can, as  he  did  not  understand  a  word  I  said. 

Having  become  fatigued  in  attempting  to  render  himself 
agreeable  to  me  by  talking  Spanish,  he  at  length  in  a  most 
inquiring  manner  said — "  Parlez  vous  Francais,  Monsieur  ?" 
— Do  you  speak  French,  sir  ?  to  which  I  said,  "  JVo,  Senor,''^ 
which  effectually  silenced  my  talkative  companion,  who, 
apparently  in  despair,  or  disgust  perhaps,  wrapped  himself 
up  in  his  cloak,  and  my  following  his  example,  we  thus, 
with  our  mutual  thoughts  locked  up  in  our  minds,  played 
the  dummy  to  each  other  until  10  o'clock  the  next  morning 
— that  proving  to  be  the  time  of  taking  our  chocolate. 

After  taking  some  refreshment,  the  diligencia  being  ready 
for  its  departure,  I  offered  the  lady  of  the  house  some  mo- 
ney for  my  repast — but  she  refused  to  take  it,  pointing  to 
my  Mexican  friend,  to  whom  I  shook  my  head,  to  intimate 
that  he  was  not  to  pay  for  me ;  at  the  same  time  offering 
him  money.  This  he  refused,  repeating  often  "  Lagos," 
from  which  I  inferred  that  he  would  settle  my  bills  as  far  as 
that  place,  as  I  was  unacquainted  with  the  language  of  the 
country.  Having  no  objections  to  such  an  arrangement,  I 
also  said  Lagos,  accompanying  my  repetition  of  the  name 
by  placing  one  dollar  upon  another,  to  inform  him  that  I 
would  settle  with  him  at  Lagos.     Thus  we  travelled  on  with 


2  -2  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  X   M  E  X  I  C  O . 

this  understanding,  wliich  we  amicably  arranged  at  the  end 
of  our  journey. 

]My  first  dav's  journey  to  Lagos  was  more  interesting  to 
me  than  I  liad  imagined  it  would  be,  as  the  face  of  the 
country  presented  a  different  aspect  to  that  which  I  had  al- 
ready seen.  Between  Vera  Cruz  and  the  city  of  Mexico, 
the  mountains  all  run  parallel  with  the  Gulf,  north  and  south. 
But  as  I  had  left  the  valley  of  Mexico,  I  found  myself  be- 
fore the  break  of  day  on  an  extensive  plain,  shut  up  on  all 
sides  by  lofty  mountains,  which  looked  as  if  they  would 
alike  defy  man  or  beast  to  pass  their  steep  and  rocky  heights. 
Although  these  mountains  presented  a  view,  as  if  theyw'ere 
natural  fortresses  to  imprison  all  within  them,  yet  at  some 
depression,  or  as  it  were  gateway,  they  would  offer  egress 
for  the  traveller,  and  when  passed  would  only  present  to  the 
beholder  the  same  plain,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  like 
vast  amphitheatre  of  mountain  scenery. 

The  mountains  in  Mexico  present  an  entire  different  ap- 
pearance from  any  other  in  North  America;  for  with  very 
little  exception  they  are  uncovered  with  forest,  and  mostly 
without  verdure  of  any  kind;  saving  the  gray  and  green 
moss.  The  mountains  in  resemblance  looked  more  like 
spued  spiral  earth  of  a  frosty  morning,  but  upon  a  more  gi- 
gantic scale,  than  any  other  familiar  object  known  to  my 
mind  ;  having  innumerable  saw-tooth  points  and  forms  of 
peaks  in  every  zig-zag  direction.  Indeed, such  is  the  origin 
of  their  creation ;  for  not  by  cold  had  they  been  spouted 
upwards,  but  by  fire ;  and  as  the  beholder  casts  his  eyes  up 
the  giddy  heights,  and  imagines  the  time  when  those  volca- 
nic eruptions  were  in  existence,  they  are  almost  deluded, 
and  it  seems  as  if  nature  is  yet  in  ebulhtion,  fearfully  shoot- 
ing por])liyritic  rock  high  up  to  the  heavens. 

All  the  valleys  surrounded  by  the  mountains  as  above  de- 
scribed, from  their  being  so  tlvoroughly  divested  of  forest 
growth,  would  ajii)car,  but  that  some  of  them  are  spotted 
with  towns  and  the  castles  of  haciendas,  to  be  vast  prairies. 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


173 


These  plains  arc  in  fact  the  tabic  lands  proper,  while  the 
chains  of  mountains  are  the  Cordilleras  of  Mexico.  The 
plains  have  a  fertile  soil,  but  the  Spaniards  have  applied  the 
axe  to  every  thing  like  brush-wood  and  forest  trees.  But 
although  the  soil  is  rich,  it  is  most  commonly  of  a  blackish 
complexion,  when  not  of  a  gravelly  limestone  gray  appear- 
ance. It  is  generally  shallow,  and  I  could  observe  from  the 
washed  gullies  that  it  was  not  more  than  from  six  to  twen- 
ty-four inches  in  depth  ;  and  it  was  not  unfrequcntly  the  case 
that  the  rock  protruded  near  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and 
that  where  the  land  was  the  least  rolling,  it  had  been  washed 
away,  and  left  a  barren  level  rock  for  many  miles  in  extent. 
For  those  whose  misfortune  has  never  obliged  them  to  tra- 
vel upon  a  plain  of  solid  rock,  it  is  not  easy  to  imagine  its 
disagreeableness ;  the  clatter  of  the  unshod  hoofs  of  the  lit- 
tle animals,  the  lofty  bounces  and  downward  plunges  of  the 
diligencia,  will  never  be  forgotten  by  myself.  The  rock  is 
not  always  of  a  solid  body,  for  some  plains  have  an  appear- 
ance of  the  bed  of  a  river,  covered  by  quartz  stone,  such  as 
is  found  at  the  bottom  of  most  rivers  in  the  United  States, 
(and  which  is  used  for  the  paving  of  streets,)  and  indeed 
must  have  been  the  beds  of  immense  lakes  in  by-gone 
times. 

The  lands,  as  before  remarked,  whether  poor  or  rich, 
would  produce  admirably,  which  must  be  attributed  to  the 
climate,  that  is  where  they  are  capable  of  being  irrigated. 
Some  of  the  plains  would  be  divided  into  two  or  more  ha- 
ciendas, the  larger  one  of  which  would  be  hemmed  in  by  a 
stone  wall  of  miles  in  extent — while  occasionally  a  smaller 
farm  might  be  met  with,  hedged  in  by  the  evergreen  orgono, 
a  variety  of  the  species  of  prickly  pear,  and  the  maguey, 
which  would  be  growing  so  thick  upon  the  sides  of  ditches 
as  to  effectually  obstruct  the  passage  of  any  animal  hkely 
to  be  detrimental  to  crops.  I  could  not  altogether  discover 
the  utility  of  the  stone  fences,  w^hich  in  most  instances  must 
have  cost  years  of  labour,  and  much  money,  unless  they 


1^^  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

were  designed  for  permanent  landmarks,  or  costly  orna- 
ments, for  they  enclosed  mostly  land  that  never  had  been, 
and  never  could  be  cultivated. 

Yet,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  not  uncommon  to  see  hun- 
dreds of  acres  of  land  growing  in  corn  and  wheat,  having 
not  a  vestige  of  enclosure  around  them.  Such  fields  are 
watched  by  the  farmers  to  prevent  the  stock  from  feeding 
upon  the  crops ;  and  the  Arieros  lake  good  care  that  their 
horses  and  mules  do  not  diverge  from  the  highway  upon  the 
farms.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  the  little  attention  required 
to  prevent  the  animals  from  going  astray,  and  nipping  down 
the  tempting  green  corn ;  exhibiting  the  fact  that  the  brute 
creation  can  be  taught  honesty — why  not  the  Mexicans  1 
One  thing  I  must  not  forget  to  mention,  which  must  excite 
the  contempt  of  the  American  agriculturalist — the  manure 
of  a  hacienda  is  never  spread  over  the  land,  but  in  every 
instance  is  thrown  out  of  the  way  in  heaps,  and  when  the 
winds  and  sun  have  sufficiently  dried  it,  it  is  set  on  fire  and 
suffered  to  consume.  A  gentleman  once  told  me  that  he 
had  seen  a  pile  on  fire  for  twelve  months,  the  conflagration 
being  very  slow. 

The  scenes  as  presented  in  the  valleys  are  beautiful  beyond 
description.  The  lava  heights  of  those  deep  blue  and  brown 
peaked  mountains,  surrounding  me  on  all  sides,  mantled  by 
the  azure  sky,  presented  a  majestic  appearance,  while  the 
extended  plains  beneath  wore  a  pleasing  aspect.  In  such  a 
view  all  my  apprehensions  of  ladrones  were  forgotten,  and 
the  only  thing  which  would  occasionally  recall  me  to  the 
painful  consciousness  of  my  journey,  was  the  violent  con- 
cussion of  the  wheels  of  the  diligencia  against  rocks,  and  a 
plunge  in  and  over  some  deep  furrow,  worn  perhaps  by  the 
attrition  of  ages,  of  animal's  hoofs  in  the  fields.  There  are 
no  improved  roads  north  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  excepting 
just  at  the  entrance  of  some  of  the  larger  towns.  The 
whole  plains  are  crossed  and  recrossed  by  thousands  of 
paths,  culled  natural  ways,  those  of  which  are  travelled  by 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO.  jiyg 

vehicles  are  such  as  have  been  most  frequently  beaten  down, 
and  are  therefore^ the  smoother  and  firmer. 

On  my  first  day's  journey,  I  passed  the  town  of  Mejico, 
a  place  of  not  much  importance,  and  fast  tumbling  to  de- 
cay. However,  a  considerable  garrison  of  soldiers  was  sta- 
tioned there.  We  arrived  at  Cula  about  three  o'clock, 
where  my  Mexican  friend  gave  me  to  understand,  much  to 
my  joy,  that  we  were  to  dine ;  for,  after  a  night's  travel,  I 
had  subsisted  all  of  that  day  upon  nothing  but  a  cup  of  cho- 
colate. Dinner  being  ready,  I  sat  down  to  a  meal  the  like 
of  which  I  had  never  before  seen,  for  it  was  entirely  Mexi- 
can, and  not  like  the  Casa  de  la  Diligencia  hotels  kept  be- 
tween Vera  Cruz  and  the  capital,  which  were  conducted  by 
French  landlords,  the  diet  therefore  partaking  of  both 
French  and  Mexican  variety. 

Boiled  rice  was  first  served  up,  which  being  removed  a 
stew  was  then  introduced — of  what  kind  of  meat  it  was 
composed  I  was  at  a  loss  first  to  conjecture,  but  as  my  ap- 
petite had  become  in  some  degree  satisfied,  it  partook  more 
of  the  flavour  of  the  goat  than  of  mutton.  There  was  also 
a  bowl  of  chili  on  the  table,  which  my  friend  intimated  to 
me  not  to  touch — but  I  had  no  idea  of  letting  an  opportuni- 
ty slip  of  tasting  every  food  used  by  the  Mexicans ;  so  I 
helped  myself  to  a  couple  of  spoonsfull  of  the  stewed  red  pep- 
per, and  having  walloped  a  piece  of  my  meat  in  the  chih, 
with  the  hope  of  taking  the  goat  flavour  from  it,  I  then  ap- 
plied it  to  my  mouth.  But  a  hard  time  I  had  of  it,  for  my 
tongue  felt  as  if  it  had  been  seared  by  a  red  hot  iron,  yet  I 
continued  to  nibble  and  turn  over  the  sauced  meat  from  side 
to  side,  with  the  hopes  of  finally  conquering  the  fiery  por- 
tion, and  of  making  a  quick  swallow  of  it ;  as  tli^  tears 
trickled  down  my  cheeks  the  diet  refused  to  go  to  my  sto- 
mach, and  fell  back  again  into  my  plate. 

My  friend,  convulsed  with  laughter,  held  his  hand  be- 
tween myself  and  the  vessel  of  water,  and  shouted — Una ! 
hina !     Not  understanding  what  lie  meant,  I  began  to  think 


1--^  TRAVELS   I.\   MEXICO. 

that  ho  intended  to  insult  me,  by  eating  of  what  he  intended 
to  be  a  private  dish ;  but  I  was  not  kept  long  in  suspense, 
for  a  bottle  of  claret  wine  was  introduced,  and  a  Mexican 
girl  popping  the  cork  out  in  no  time,  filled  a  large  glass  and 
offered  it  to  me  to  drink ;  and  as  the  astringent  draught 
passed  down  my  throat,  I  not  only  thought  that  it  was  the 
best  wine  I  had  ever  drank,  but  felt  as  if  a  brand  had  been 
snatched  from  the  eternal  burning.  I  could  eat  no  more, 
although  I  had  a  better  appetite  than  when  I  first  began; 
and  taking  a  glass  of  wine  I  left  the  table,  leaving  my  friend 
in  full  possession  and  enjoyment  of  his  chili  sauce. 

My  first  night's  lodging  was  in  the  castle  of  a  hacienda, 
the  name  of  which  has  escaped  me  now ;  and  having  there 
enjoyed  my  meal  without  the  use  of  chili,  I  slept  until  two 
o'cjock,  when  the  diligencia  again  commenced  its  journey. 
One  thing  I  observed,  and  it  is  to  be  admired,  that  Santa 
Anna  had  not  only,  for  the  good  order  and  government  of 
his  people,  garrisoned  with  soldiers  all  the  towns  through 
which  I  passed,  but  the  haciendas  also,  which  was  designed 
to  keep  his  fickle  fellow-citizens 'from  rebellion,  and  to  hold 
in  awe  the  marauding  banditti  who  infest  the  highways. 

When  day  dawned  I  still  found  myself  upon  the  same 
table-land,  and  surrounded  by  the  same  mountain  scenery 
as  on  the  day  previous.  The  plain  of  Gueretoro,  over  which 
I  had  that  day  to  travel,  was  greater  in  circumference  than 
either  of  the  valleys  I  had  left  behind  me,  and  possessed  a 
more  even  surface,  and  generally  better  looking  soil ;  yet 
there  was  less  cultivation,  as  I  did  not  once  see  water  until 
I  arrived  at  Arroyo  Zarco,  where  myself  and  friend  sat 
down  to  a  repast,  which,  whether  denominated  a  breakfast 
or  dinner,  1  cannot  tell,  as  it  was  then  past  the  meridian. 
However,  I  was  more  particular  than  on  the  day  before, 
and,  having  better  fare,  I  indulged  freely  upon  boiled  rice, 
broth,  stews,  tortillas,  and  frijoles,  while  my  friend  sharp- 
ened his  appetite  by  mixing  chili  sauce  with  every  thing 
he  ate.     Arroyo  Zarco  was  of  less  elevation  than  any  of 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ^Jl 

the  valleys  I  had  passed,  and  yielded  an  abundance  of  deli- 
cious fruit ;  and  there,  for  the  first  time,  I  partook  of  seve- 
ral lemons,  which  were  sweeter  than  any  orange  I  had  ever 
before  tasted. 

Previous  to  our  leaving  Arroyo  Zarco,  the  mother  of  the 
driver  of  the  diligencia  took  a  most  affectionate  leave  of 
her  son;  and,  while  she  embraced  him,  she  implored  all  the 
saints  to  protect  him  harmless  from  the  ladrones.  All  being 
seated,  the  driver  cracked  his  whip,  and  his  waiters  letting 
go  the  lassos,  with  whoops  and  shrill  whistles,  the  animals 
set  off  with  furious  speed,  seeming  as  if  they  would  break 
their  necks,  or  else  endeavour  to  break  those  of  whom  they 
were  drawing.  Our  driver  did  not,  for  hill  or  gully,  slack- 
en his  speed ;  but,  Phaeton  like,  he  hurled  on,  more  regard- 
less of  consequences  than  any  other  Mexican  driver  I  had 
travelled  wdth.  His  animals  at  length,  in  an  exhausted  con- 
dition, arrived  at  the  rancho,  where  there  was  to  be  a 
change,  and  from  the  severe  jolting  I  had  received  during 
the  last  ten  miles,  I  determined  to  get  out  of  the  diligencia 
to  relieve  my  limbs ;  my  Mexican  friend  followed  my  ex- 
ample. When  I  had  descended,  I  discovered  the  driver 
exerting  an  unusual  haste  to  put  into  gear  the  second  team, 
and  I  noticed  that  he  often  raised  his  head,  and  cast  a  lin- 
gering look  to  the  rear  as  if  expecting  the  approach  of 
some  one. 

The  team  being  harnessed,  the  driver  asked  us  to  take 
our  seats,  and,  with  all  the  usual  noise  on  such  occasions, 
the  animals,  on  the  onset,  plunged  so  vigorously  forward 
that,  without  having  moved  the  diligencia  but  a  few  feet, 
the  cross-bar  in  front  of  the  tongue  snapped  in  twain,  by 
which  accident,  not  being  furnished  with  another,  we  were 
subject  to.  a  delay  until  the  broken  bar  was  repaired. 

1  took  this  opportunity  of  descending  to  the  ground,  and 

the  first  thing  that  attracted  my  attention  was  the  driver 

looking  to  the  rear  as  before ;  I  determined  also  to  keep 

my  eyes  turned  in  that  direction.     It  was  not  long  before  I 

12 


178 


T  R  A  \'  E  L  S   IN   MEXICO. 


espied  six  men,  avcII  mounted,  making  for  us  with  full  speed. 
My  friend  shook  iiis  iiead,  and  tlie  driver  -went  sluggishly  to 
work  to  mend  the  cross-bar.  Three  of  the  men  dismounted 
close  by  ;  the  other  three  rode  directly  up  to  us,  one  of  them 
stopping  close  by  my  side. 

It  was  not  difficult  for  me  to  understand  who  these  men 
were,  and  I  was  not  unprepared  to  meet  the  emergency; 
for  in  each  of  my  breeches  pockets  was  a  six -barrel  pistol, 
and  to  my  side  a  good  Bowie  knife.  I  kept  my  hands  upon 
my  pistols,  determined  not  to  commence  self-defence  too 
soon,  but  with  a  watchful  eye  take  advantage  of  the  first 
move  of  the  ladrones.  The  chief,  as  I  presumed  him  to 
be,  of  this  banditti,  commenced  a  conversation  wath  my 
friend,  while  the  remaining  five  had,  in  the  mean  time,  sur- 
rounded myself.  The  conversation,  I  could  discover,  was 
all  appertaining  to  me,  and  while  thus  in  suspense  I  resolved 
to  disencumber  myself  from  my  guard,  and  accordingly 
stepped  forward  from  them ;  but  they  foUow^ed,  and  my 
friend  shook  his  head  at  me.  The  driver  had  for  some 
tinie  finished  his  repairs,  and  was  waiting  the  issue  of  what 
might  happen.  They  returned,  and  myself  and  friend  again 
took  our  seats,  and  the  diligencia  went  ahead.  When  we 
arrived  at  Gueretaro  the  Mexican  gentleman  informed  me, 
through  an  American  we  met  there,  that  what  had  prevent- 
ed our  being  plundered  was,  that  he  assured  the  ladrones 
that  we  had  no  money,  more  than  would  pay  our  expenses 
to  Lagos,  and  that  as  I  was  a  foreigner,  and  had  two  six- 
barrel  pistols,  they  would  have  to  hazard  too  much  for  the 
little  they  would  gain. 

In  the  evening  we  passed  San  Juan  del  Rio,  where  our 
company  was  increased  by  another  Mexican  taking  passage 
with  us.  Our  new  companion  was  of  genteel  appearance, 
and  I  felt  myself  sufficiently  entertained  for  the  balance  of 
the  journey  to  Gueretaro,  by  listening  to  the  discourse  of 
the  two  countrymen,  and  the  continued  exchange  of  polite- 
ness between  them  ;  first  one  and  then  the  other  pulling  out 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


179 


their  little  bundles  of  cigaritos,  and  circling  the  smoke 
through  their  nostrils ;  and  at  times  so  voluminous  were  the 
clouds,  that  the  diligencia  reminded  me  of  an  old  Virginia 
smoke-house  in  the  pork  season. 

By  the  setting  of  the  sun  we  arrived  in  view  of  Guerc- 
taro,  a  beautiful  town,  situated  in  a  ravine  near  a  mountain. 
The  valley  of  Gueretaro  was  what  the  Mexicans  called  a  hot 
country,  and  it  was  therefore  with  much  delight  that  I  beheld 
there  the  orange,  and  other  fruit-trees,  in  bearing.  The  city 
of  Gueretaro  contains  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  improved  places  I  saw  in  the  Republic.  The 
well-finished  aqueduct  from  the  mountain  to  the  city  is  sup- 
ported on  arches,  and  painted  red ;  and  as  it  stretches  over 
the  green  valley  it  has  an  elegant  appearance.  Gueretaro 
is  a  cotton-manufacturing  city.  One  of  the  factories  is 
owned  by  a  Mr.  M'Cormick,  an  enterprising  American  gen- 
tleman. 

Gueretaro  is  famed  for  its  revolutionary  efforts :  it  is 
related  that  the  revolution  commenced  at  that  place  by  a 
conspiracy  formed  by  a  priest ;  but  a  few  days  before  it 
was  to  have  been  consummated  one  of  the  party,  who  was 
possessed  of  the  secret,  having  been  arrested  for  a  crime 
for  which  he  was  to  suffer  death,  fell  upon  his  knees  before 
the  prefect,  and  made  declaration  that  if  the  judge  would 
spare  his  life  he  would  divulge  the  secrets  of  a  conspiracy, 
of  which  he  was  an  accomplice,  which  confession  would 
save  the  Spaniards  from  otherwise  inevitable  destruction. 

The  prefect,  having  consented  to  the  reprieve  of  the  cri- 
minal upon  these  conditions,  was  informed  by  him  of  the 
insurrectionary  designs  of  the  Mexicans  of  that  city.  But 
the  priest  having  in  time  the  exposure  of  the  plot  commu- 
nicated to  him,  hastily  summoned  all  the  bell-ringers  of  the 
city  at  his  house,  where  he  invited  them  to  drink  wine.  The 
men  having  become  intoxicated,  he  then  directed  them  to 
go  to  their  churches,  and  ring  all  the  bells,  and  proclaim 


IgQ  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

revolution  and  death  to  the  Spaniards.  The  stratagem  suc- 
ceeded, and  betore  sun- set  on  that  day,  all  the  Spaniards, 
who  had  not  secreted  themselves,  were  barbarously  slaugh- 
tered, and  the  warrior-priest  proclaimed  general  of  the  re- 
bellious forces. 

After  myself  and  friend  had  taken  some  refreshment,  he 
invited  me  to  take  a  walk,  and,  although  it  was  night,  we 
went  over  a  good  part  of  the  town.  The  most  of  the  peo- 
ple whom  we  met  were  either  soldiers  or  priests.  The  plaza 
was  an  interesting  scene ;  at  least  an  hundred  torches  were 
blazing  at  once,  sending  up  their  light ;  while  some  of  the 
people  were  retailing  their  goods,  seated  under  their  expan- 
sive parasols,  other  buyers  and  sellers  would  be  seen 
standing  in  groups  around  piles  of  fruits,  as  the  musical 
rippling  of  the  water,  spouting  high  in  the  air  from  the 
fountains  around  the  plaza,  glanced  back  the  beacon  lights. 
Having  been  satisfied  with  our  stroll,  we  attempted  to  find 
our  way  back  to  the  Casa  de  la  Diligencia,  but  failed ;  and, 
after  following  my  friend  through  several  streets  without 
success,  we  again  returned  to  the  plaza,  where  he  inquired 
for  the  direction,  by  which  we  reached  our  hotel. 

On  arriving  at  our  room  my  friend  appeared  to  be  in  ec- 
stasies at  hearing  a  guitar  played  in  the  house,  and  he  did 
not  seem  contented  until  he  had  obtained  the  loan  of  it,  and 
the  instrument  was  being  strummed  upon  by  his  own  fin- 
gers. He  was  an  excellent  performer,  and,  whether  it  was 
from  the  music  of  the  guitar  and  his  voice,  or  in  conse- 
quence of  my  fatigue,  I  fell  asleep,  and  did  not  awaken  un- 
til the  diligencia  was  ready  to  depart,  between  two  and 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

No  other  seats  were  taken  besides  those  of  myself  and 
my  friend  to  my  right  hand.  At  that  still  hour  of  the  night, 
when  nothing  could  be  seen  by  the  bright  moonlight  but  the 
heavy  walls  of  the  houses,  it  did  appear,  when  the  diligen- 
cia started,  by  the  usual  shouts  of  the  drivers,  and  the 
thundering  noise  of  the  wheels  over  the  pavements,  that 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  jgj 

soldiers  and  citizens  must  iiavc  been  waked  from  their 
slumbers. 

Onwards  we  hurled  for  about  three  squares,  when  we 
made  a  sudden  turn  round  a  corner,  at  which  I  perceived 
men  dressed  in  scrapes,  stationed  along  the  sidewalk  of  the 
street ;  and  as  the  driver  passed  each  one  he  was  comman- 
dingly  hailed.  He  did  not  heed  them  however,  and  crack- 
ing his  whip  urged  the  speed  of  the  animals ;  but  it  seemed 
that  the  last  man  of  the  party  did  not  intend  that  the  driver 
should  escape  him,  for  he  raised  and  pointed  a  carbine  of 
some  sort,  vociferously  calling  to  the  coche,  driver ;  the  poor 
man  was  obliged  to  draw  in  his  reins,  and,  as  six  individu- 
als were  approaching,  the  head  of  the  party  had  the  temer- 
ity to  put  his  foot  on  the  step  of  the  diligencia.  While  in 
the  act  of  thrusting  his  head  through  the  window,  I  thought 
of  my  six  barrels,  and  as  the  ladrone  showed  his  face,  it 
was  at  the  muzzle  of  my  pistol,  which  he  had  no  sooner 
seen  than  he  stepped  back  and  inquired  if  that  was  the  Mex- 
ico diligencia  1  and  the  driver  answering  him  that  it  was 
the  Guanajuato,  we  wer'e  permitted  to  go  on.  For  the  re- 
mainder of  that  night,  with  apprehensions  of  ladrones,  I 
rode  with  my  hands  on  my  pistols,  for  I  felt  determined  to 
fight,  no  sooner  than  I  should  hear  the  dreadful  command 
of  "  boca  baje,"  as  it  is  called  in  Mexico. 

During  that  day's  travel  w^e  passed  the  town  of  Calaya, 
a  beautiful  and  well-improved  place.  The  pubUc  houses 
were  large,  and  built  of  hammered  stone.  I  observed  a 
handsome  monument,  surmounted  with  the  Goddess  of 
Liberty,  which  would  reflect  credit  I  thought  upon  the  ar- 
tist. It  seemed,  from  the  crowds  of  people  I  saw  in  the 
streets  and  plaza,  that  it  was  a  feast-day  at  Calaya,  and  as 
I  left  the  city  I  was  convinced  of  the  fact ;  for,  as  the  dili- 
gencia passed  over  the  bridge  near  the  town,  I  discovered 
a  large  body  of  Mexicans,  dressed  as  Indians,  dancing  be- 
fore a  saint,  on  an  altar  thickly  adorned  with  flowers,  and  I 
had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  a  ceremony  of  Indian  rites 


jg.2  TRAVELS    Ii\    MEXICO. 

as  incorporated  in  the  Roman  Catholic  rehgion  of  Mexico. 
I  was  impressed  with  the  o})inion  that  if  Saint  Paul  could 
have  beheld  the  barbarous  show,  he  would  have  blushed  for 
the  name  of  the  Christian  religion;  and  I  am  astonished  that 
in  this  enlightened  day  of  the  church,  pious  priests  do  not 
petition  the  Pope  to  purge  the  Catholic  religion  in  Mexico 
of  heathen  and  heretical  doctrines  and  festivities. 

At  Calaya,  myself  and  friend  had  added  to  our  company 
three  Spaniards  of  old  Spain,  who  were  most  gentlemanly 
in  their  manners.  Understanding  that  I  neither  spoke  Spa- 
nish nor  Frencli,  they  used  every  effort  to  render  themselves 
agreeable  to  me — and  I  would  remark  that,  although  indi- 
viduals may  not  understand  each  other's  tongue,  yet  the  lan- 
guage of  politeness  is  the  same  all  over  the  world,  and  the 
numberless  civilities  that  may  be  extended  from  one  to  an- 
other, are  very  congenial  to  the  feelings  of  both. 

Our  first  stage  was  from  Calaya  to  Salamanca,  where  we 
took  refreshments,  my  Spanish  friends  vieing  with  one  an- 
otlier  in  attending  to  my  wants.  Salamanca  is  a  manufac- 
turing town,  tlieir  cotton  mills  being  propelled  by  animal 
power.  The  landlord  of  the  Casa  de  la  Diligencia  amused 
me  much  by  the  antics  he  played  with  a  piece  of  cotton 
cloth;  he  came  running  into  the  presence  of  the  passengers 
with  it,  and,  while  my  Mexican  and  Spanish  friends  were 
crowding  around  him  to  get  a  look  at  the  cloth,  he  shoved 
them  all  aside,  and  with  a  triumphant  air  threw  an  end  o-f 
the  cotton  goods  on  my  knee,  with  the  air  of-  a  factor  or 
merchant.  I  examined  the  goods,  and  then  looking  the 
landlord  in  the  face  said,  buenoy  (good,)  at  which  the  old 
man  clapped  his  hands,  and  patted  my  shoulders  with  re- 
joicings, until  I  was  tii'ed  of  it.  However  I  felt  desirous  of 
knowing  what  such  cotton  cloth  would  bring  at  the  factory, 
and  I  said  to  mine  host,  quantum,  (how  much ;)  he  replied, 
trece  rial,  (thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents;)  and  I  am  confi- 
dent that  such  goods  could  be  imported  into  Mexico  and  re- 
tailed there  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents.     So  much  for  pro- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jgg 

tection;  and  this  too  in  a  country  every  foot  of  which  could 
grow  cotton. 

From  Salamanca  I  passed  Yrapoato,  a  town  that  excels 
the  former  in  external  appearance.  My  third  day's  travel 
was  rendered  more  agreeable  to  me  by  the  better  condition 
of  the  ways,  and  the  addition  of  companions.  Not  long 
after  the  hour  of  night,  by  the  assistance  of  a  torch-light, 
held  by  the  waiter  of  the  driver,  the  diligencia  descended  a 
long  and  steep  hill,  and  having  reached  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
ravine,  was  brought  to  a  halt  before  cross-bars  that  stopped  the 
highway.  These  having  been  removed  by.  a  custom-house 
officer,  we  were  permitted  to  pass  up  a  long  and  toilsome 
gorge  in  the  mountain,  on  the  left  hand  side  of  which  was 
a  continued  row  of  large  buildings,  haciendas  beneficio 
mineral,  (mineral  factories,)  for  the  grinding  and  smelting  of 
silver  and  gold  ores.  In  about  an  hour  we  were  at  the  town 
of  Guanajuato,  which,  although  a  place  of  much  importance 
in  Mexico,  and  containing  a  large  population,  I  did  not  get  a 
satisfactory  view  of,  owing  t<!)  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

Dinner  being  over,  for  by  that  time  I  had  learned  that 
passengers  on  that  route  did  not  dine  until  night,  my  young 
Mexican  friend,  who  had  been  remarkably  polite  and  atten- 
tive to  me  during  all  of  our  journey,  drew  on  his  cloak,  and 
pointing  to  my  own  for  me  to  do  likewise,  he  touched  me 
on  the  shoulder  as  a  sign  to  follow  him.  Without  knowing 
what  he  intended  I  readily  obeyed,  and  shortly  afterwards 
we  had  entered  the  street,  and  were  crossing  the  plaza.  My 
companion  in  a  gay  manner  said, "  Bueno  noiche,"  "  Adios," 
which  I  repeated  after  him,  for  in  that  manner  he  had  dili- 
gently employed  himself  in  endeavouring,  during  all  our 
journey,  to  teach  me  the  Spanish  language;  but,  having 
called  over  the  above  words,  he  quickened  his  step,  and 
leaving  the  plaza  we  entered  a  dark  street.  I  must  confess 
I  felt  confounded,  in  trying  to  understand  what  object  he 
had  in  bringing  me  into  a  street  which  was  totally  unillumi- 
nated,  at  that  hour  of  the  night,  for  the  words  I  had  as  cus- 


jg^  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

ternary  repeated  after  him,  meant  "  good  night,"  "  adieu." 
I  therefore  thought  it  most  singular  that  my  Mexican  friend 
should  have  taken  me  into  the  dark  to  take  leave  of  me ; 
unless  there  was  some  unknown  mystery  to  accompany  it, 
and  I  kept  myself  prepared  to  meet  the  worst. 

Our  direction  was  a  crooked  one,  for  we  had  already 
turned  several  corners.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  I 
was  somewhat  relieved  of  my  apprehensions,  by  his  saying 
again,  for  me  to  repeat,  the  words,  "  Senor,  Seuorita,  Seuo- 
7-e.s" — the  word  Senorita  he  caused  me  to  repeat  three  times 
over,  and  then  knocked  loudly  at  a  great  door  of  a  house 
before  which  we  were  standing.  In  about  ten  minutes'  time 
a  light  was  held  out  of  an  upper  window,  to  the  great  joy 
of  my  friend,  who  exhibited  much  impatience  ;  the  light  de- 
scended to  the  inner  court,  and  a  door  large  enough  for  a 
fortress  was  opened,  I  followed  the  young  Mexican  up  a 
large  flight  of  stone  steps  upon  the  corridor,  from  "which  we 
were  conducted  by  a  servant  into  a  large  and  well-furnished 
drawing-room,  and  having  seated  ourselves  my  companion 
appeared  delighted,  and  pointed  to  the  elegantly  polished, 
marble-coloured,  painted  floor,  the  silver  chandelier  and 
candlesticks,  the  silver  ornamented  chairs,  the  piano  and 
guitar. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  climax  of  his  pleasure  was 
complete,  by  the  entering  of  a  most  graceful  and  lovely 
young  lady.  Upon  her  appearance  we  rose  from  our  seats, 
and  as  she  gently  paused  in  the  centre  of  the  room  my 
friend  introduced  me  to  her  ;  what  he  said  I  know  not,  but 
I  found  use  for  the  lessons  I  had  received  in  the  streets,  and 
at  the  door,  by  saying,  when  bowing,  "  Bueno  notche,  Se- 
uorita." 

After  some  conversation  had  passed,  my  friend  turned  to 
me,  and  in  English,  which  I  had  taught  him,  inquiringly 
said,  "  Good  ?"  at  which  I  gave  him  to  understand,  "  Esta 
bueno,"  (very  good.)  The  young  lady  seemed  pleased  with 
the  society  of  her  friend,  but  I  often  detected  her  curiously 


TRAVELSINMEXICO.  |grj 

eyeing  my  own  features  and  person ;  and  from  the  gestures 
and  declamations  of  the  two,  I  could  plainly  percieve  that 
much  of  their  conversation  was  respecting  myself. 

To  my  agreeable  entertainment,  another  young  lady  en- 
tered the  apartment,  to  whom  I  was  also  introduced,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  a  third  appeared,  and  all  having  become 
seated  and  tranquillity  restored,  my  friend  turned  again  to 
me,  and  in  his  manner  inquired  if  the  ladies  were  "  Good." 
To  which  he  did  not  seem  satisfied  with  my  general  assent 
to  his  interrogation,  but  wished  me  to  particularize  which 
was  the  best;  and  accordingly,  thus  understanding  him,  I 
rose  from  my  chair,  and  crossing  the  room  took  my  seat  by 
one  of  the  three,  at  the  same  time  declining  the  Latin  de- 
grees of  comparison,  "  Bonus,  major,  maximus,"  which  ap- 
peared to  divert  and  please  the  whole  party.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  lovely  selection  I  had  made  and  myself  were 
left  alone,  by  the  others  retiring  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room ;  and  thus  singularly  she  entertained  me  by  performing 
on  'the  guitar,  accompanying  it  with  the  soft  music  of  her 
melodious  voice,  and  by  a  game  of  backgammon.  By  the 
aid  of  my  conversation  book,  which  I  found  useful,  she 
made  many  inquiries  of  me  about  my  country,  and  discov- 
ering that  she  seemed  to  be  much  pleased  with  my  imper- 
fect answers,  I  asked  her  if  she  would  like  to  visit  the  Uni- 
ted States  X  to  which  she  replied,  "  That  she  would  be  hap- 
py to  do  so,  if  she  had  an  American  for  her  protector."  My 
stay  at  the  hospitable  house  of  the  three  lovely  sisters  was 
interrupted  by  my  friend  informing  me  that  the  hour  had 
arrived  for  the  departure  of  the  diligencia,  and  we  both,  no 
doubt  with  much  reluctance,  took  our  afibctionate  leave  of 
the  accomplished  and  beautiful  trio. 

Upon  our  arrival  at  the  hotel,  we  had  only  to  take  our 
seats,  for  the  vehicle  was  making  ready  to  depart.  The 
diligencia,  in  leaving  Guanajuato,  had  to  descend  again  the 
same  deep  glen  by  which  we  had  entered  the  town,  as 
that  was  the  only  ingress  and  egress  to  and  from  the  place. 


2Qg  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

Guanajuato  is  celebrated  for  its  great  productions  of  silver. 
The  mines  are  more  famed  for  the  larger  abundance  of  gold 
contained  in  the  silver  ores,  than  those  of  any  other  in  the 
Republic. 

When  the  precious  metals  were  first  discovered  on  the 
mountain  of  Guanajuato,  the  liappy  individual  who  was  the 
proprietor,  determined  that  a  beneficent  donation  should  be 
the  first  act  to  grace  his  good  fortune.  Accordingly  he 
built  a  frigate  of  the  first  class,  and  when  it  was  completed, 
armed,  manned  and  rigged,  he  sent  it  to  Spain,  where  he 
made  it  a  present  to  the  king :  for  this  generosity  his  sove- 
reign honoured  him  with  the  noble  title  of  marquis. 

The  mines  of  Guanajuato  are  not  now  so  extensively 
worked  as  in  former  times,  and,  in  natural  consequence,  the 
yield  is  not  so  much  as  it  has  been  ;  however,  they  are  con- 
sidered to  produce,  annually,  about  one  million  of  dollars. 
They  are  believed,  from  the  extent  of  their  operations,  to 
be  as  rich,  and  perhaps  more  so  than  any  others  in  Mexico. 
But  a  short  time  before  my  arrival  there,  a  system  had  been 
discovered  by  which  a  large  amount  of  money  had  been 
robbed  from  the  mint. 

It  appeared  that,  as  I  was  informed,  the  government  sus- 
pected that  too  much  alloy  was  mixed  with  the  pure  metal, 
and  it  ordered  that  the  coined  dollars  should  be  assayed. 
The  result  of  a  chemical  experiment  proved  the  conjecture 
correct,  and  by  the  watchfulness  of  the  officers  the  thieves 
were  detected.  The  plan  by  which  the  money  had  been 
abstracted  was  this:  tlie  individual,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
examine  the  money  as  it  received  the  stamp,  would  deposit 
in  his  own  pocket  a  given  number  of  dollars,  the  amount  of 
which  he  would  communicate  to  another  workman,  whose 
business  it  was  to  melt  up  such  coin  as  had  not  received  a 
good  impression ;  thus  the  smelter  would  add  to  the  silver 
in  the  crucible  as  many  copper  imitation  dollars  as  the  ex- 
aminer had  stolen,  and  by  these  means  the  bullion  and  the 
coin  would  not  lose  in  weicrht. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICOj  jgiy 

My  day's  journey  from  Guanajuato  promised  to  be  a  de- 
lightful one  ;  for  it  proved  that,  as  day  dawned,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  extend  the  road  was  good.  During  that  day  we 
passed  several  good-looking  towns,  and  in  particular  that 
of  Silao,  a  well-built  place,  containing  about  four  thousand 
inhabitants.  At  Silao  I  noticed  an  extensive  and  elegant 
stone  house,  which  looked  as  if  it  might  have  been  a  Jesuit 
building;  and,  from  the  use  to  w^hich  it  was  appropriated,  J 
had  no  doubt  of  the  correctness  of  my  conjecture  ;  lor  such 
edifices  were  occupied  by  soldiers  as  a  garrison.  The 
horses  of  the  diligencia  were  exchanged  here,  and  were 
better  looking  animals  than  any  I  had  seen  on  the  road. 
We  passed  on  that  day  also  the  town  of  Leon,  a  place  after 
the  Spanish  order,  and  of  imposing  appearance,  having 
several  large  and  very  handsome  churches.  Here  we  took 
breakfast,  and,  while  the  driver  w-as  changing  his  team,  I 
took  a  short  stroll  through  the  town,  and  was  much  pleased 
with  the  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  it. 

It  w^as  after  dark  when  I  arrived  at  liagos.  This  town, 
though  situated  on  the  largest  river  I  had  seen  in  Mexico, 
takes  its  name  from  being  in  a  lake  region.  On  the  tops  of 
the  high  hills,  which  are  only  the  depressions  of  the  moun- 
tains south  of  Lagos,  are  many  lakes,  one  of  which,  an  ar- 
tificial one,  I  passed :  it  was  two  miles  or  more  in  extent. 
Lagos  is  in  a  warmer  country  than  the  valley  through  which 
I  had  just  passed. 

Much  fatigued  from  the  loss  of  sleep,  and  the  exercise 
I  experienced  in  my  journey  of  four  hundred  miles,  as  soon 
as  I  had  partaken  of  some  dinner,  and  settled  with  my  Mex- 
ican friend,  who  had  been  so  politely  paying  my  bills  on  the 
way,  I  retired  to  my  room,  and  went  to  bed.  Some  might 
feel  curious  to  know  how  myself  and  friend  came  to  an  un- 
derstanding;  and,  for  their  information,  !  will  say  that,  in 
the  first  place,  I  drew  from  my  pocket  a  handful  of  dollars 
and  small  change,  and  laid  it  in  a  heap  on  the  table  at  which 
we  were  sitting.     He  then  called  the  name  of  the  first  place 


]  gg  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O . 

at  which  \vc  stopped,  taking  from  my  pile  as  much  as  ho 
had  payed  for  me  there,  and  so  on,  naming  each,  until  our 
arrival  at  Lagos.  When  he  had  finished,  his  amount  of 
money  was  as  large  as  my  own.  Before  putting  it  in  his 
purse,  he  looked  inquiringly  at  me  and  said,  "Good?"  and 
obtaining  my  assent,  "Esta  bueno,"  and  '^  Mil  gracias," — 
very  good,  I  thank  you  a  thousand  times — he  hid  the  cash 
for  ever  from  my  sight. 

On  the  following  morning  I  awoke  and  found  myself  en- 
tirel}^  alone  ;  for  my  JMexican  friend  had,  during  the  night, 
taken  the  diligencia  for  Guadalajara.  After  dressing  my- 
self, my  first  business  was  to  write  in  my  journal,  but  I  had 
not  long  been  employed  thus  when  I  was  interrupted  by  a 
servant-girl  entering  with  chocolate,  which  is  always  taken 
in  Mexico  some  hours  before  breakfast.  After  taking  this 
beverage  I  determined  to  deliver  a  letter  of  business  and 
introduction,  which  had  been  politely  handed  me  by  the 
keeper  of  the  diligencia  oflice  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  to  be 
presented  to  the  keeper  of  the  same  at  Lagos.  I  was  in- 
formed that  I  woukl  find  him  to  be  a  Frenchman,  and  that 
he  could  speak  the  English  language.  Upon  my  going  to 
the  oflice  it  so  happened,  that  the  first  individual  to  whom  I 
showed  my  letter  was  the  gentleman  to  whom  it  was  di- 
rected ;  but  lo  and  beJiold  !  although  he  could  parlez  Fran- 
cais,  and  Iiah/a  the  Spanish,  as  sraiiy  as  a  mocking-bird,  yet 
he  could  not  say  a  word  of  English.  I  felt  desperate,  and 
endeavoured  to  get  him  to  pronounce  but  one  w^ord  of  my 
mother-tongue;  but  upon  every  occasion  he  charged  at  me 
with  both  French  and  Spanish,  to  my  entire  discomfiture. 
It  was  a  drawn  battle,  and  we  both  recoiled  backwards  and 
took  a  good  look  at  each  other. 

o 

]\Iy  surprise  can  hardly  be  imagined  when  I  discovered 
my  condition;  and  my  confusion  on  that  occasion  can  only 
be  known  to  those  who  have  been  placed  in  a  similar  situa- 
tion. I  found  myself  in  the  very  heart  and  centre  of  a  fo- 
reign country,  and  in  a  tow  n  where  I  was  a  total  stranger. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO, 


189 


unable  to  speak  a  single  sentence  of  the  language  of  the 
people  by  whom  I  was  surrounded.  I  shall  for  ever  pity 
the  individual  who  is  so  positioned  that  he  cannot  either  un- 
derstand or  be  understood,  as  I  was  in  this  instance,  with- 
out an  apparent  remedy. 

My  letter  to  the  Frenchman  informed  him  that  I  would 
prefer  to  continue  my  journey  to  Zacatecas  by  the  diligen- 
cia,  if  there  should  be  any  running  to  that  place;  and,  if 
not,  I  would  take  a  caritalia,  a  Spanish  carriage,  or  ser- 
vants and  animals,  as  he  might  advise.  In  business  transac- 
tions of  the  kind,  where  three  points  are  to  be  discussed,  of 
so  much  importance  to  me,  it  was  necessary  that  tliere 
should  be  an  explicit  determination  as  to  what  should  be 
done.  I  returned  to  my  room  for  my  book  of  dialogues, 
and  hoped  that  by  its  aid  each  of  us  could  come  to  an  un- 
derstanding; but,  unfortunately,  the  book  failed  to  answer 
my  purpose.  It  was  but  a  very  imperfect  compendium.  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  it  would  have  amused  any 
person  in  the  world  to  have  witnessed  our  distress,  in  the 
fruitless  eflbrts  we  made  in  looking  for  sentences  to  suit  our 
purposes,  and  our  endeavour  to  select  and  write  down 
words  to  express  our  thoughts. 

In  despair  the  book  was  closed,  and  we  were  again 
put  to  the  stand.  In  this  dilemma  a  Mexican  fortunately 
came  into  the  room,  and  I  soon  perceived,  from  the  bright- 
ened countenance  of  the  Frenchman,  that  something  pleas- 
ing was  about  to  happen,  and  in  a  short  time  he  beckoned 
me  to  follow  him. 

While  passing  through  the  streets,  my  mind  confused  by 
the  disagreeable  condition  in  which  I  was  placed,  I  could 
only  feel  vexed  at  the  unintentional  attention  I  attracted 
from  the  inhabitants ;  and  often  did  I  hear  repeated,  as  I 
walked,  the  names.  Ingles,  Aiiierlcano.  I  had  been  advised 
to  make  myself  as  little  conspicuous  as  possible,  and  to 
proceed  hastily  with  my  journey,  so  as  to  escape  notice.  I 
thought  too  of  the  declarations  of  many  persons,  with  whom 


IQQ  TRAVELS     IN     MEXICO. 

I  liad  foniicd  an  ac([uaintancc  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  that 
no  one  had  ever  straight  forward  performed  the  journey  I 
was  making,  unless  at  the  head  of  an  army,  or  connected 
with  a  powerful  band  of  travellers :  no  one  with  whom  I 
conversed  but  who  discouraged  and  dissuaded  me  from  my 
undertaking.  And  although  my  thoughts  reverted  to  Old 
Virginia,  there  was  yet  no  retreat  left  for  me,  and  I  was 
resolved  to  go  on  to  death  or  to  victory. 

The  Frenchman  at  length  entered  a  large  door  way,  and 
I  followed  him  up  the  steps  to  the  corridor.  We  were 
then  met  by  a  stout,  likely  looking  Mexican,  who  was  intro- 
duced to  me  as  Doctor  Tesus  Anaya.  The  doctor  could 
"  speak  English  lectle,"  he  said,  by  his  having  once  visited 
New  Orleans.  I  explained  to  him  that  I  wished  to  take  a 
caritalia  to  Zacatecas.  The  Frenchman  assured  me  that 
my  necessity  should  be  supplied  in  two  days'  time,  and  al- 
*  though  I  was  subject  to  so  long  a  delay,  I  felt  rejoiced  that 
I  was  enabled  to  express  the  particulars  of  my  wants. 
Having  returned  many  thanks  to  the  doctor  for  the  trouble 
he  had  been  put  to  on  my  account,  I  retired  to  my  lodgings, 
determined  to  employ  my  time  in  writing  in  my  journal. 

I  was  engaged  uninterruptedly  in  writing  until  evening, 
when  my  attention  was  aroused  by  the  tread  of  many  horses 
passing  over  the  pavement,  and  stepping  quick  to  the  win- 
dow, expecting  to  Ijchold  a  military  troop  on  its  march;  I 
perceived  that  it  was  only  a  large  party  of  travellers.  How- 
ever, in  a  short  time  my  attentive  friend,  the  Frenchman, 
came  running  into  my  room,  repeatedly  saying  Americana! 
Americana! — I  immediately  took  my  hat  and  accompanied 
mine  host  to  the  Mason,-  where  the  travellers  had  put  up. 
Upon  my  approaching  them  they  indeed  proved  to  be  a 
party  of  Americans,  and  seemed  glad  in  that  distant  region, 
to  meet  w-ith  a  fellow  countryman.  They  consisted  of 
twelve  in  number,  of  whom  three  were  ladies,  all  from  New 
England,  and  in  the  employment  and  under  the  protection 
of  a  Mr.  Peck,  who  was  on  his  way  to  San  Bias,  u{)on  the 


TR  A  V  E  L  S    I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O.  i  q  i 

Pacific  ocean,  to  establish  a  cotton  manufactory.  Thus  it 
is  perceived  that  the  enterprising  Yankee  regards  not  space, 
chme,  or  tongue,  so  that  he  can  indulge  in  his  hope  of  mak- 
ing money,  and  I  really  was  reminded  of  a  St.  Domingo  po- 
litician's declaration,  that  if  a  bag  of  coffee  should  be  hung 
in  hell,  a  Yankee  would  go  after  it.  Besides  the  Ameri- 
cans, there  were  eight  Mexicans  in  the  party. 

Mr.  Peck  informed  me  that  all  of  his  company  had  been 
sick,  on  their  way  from  Tampico  to  Lagos,  being  afflicted 
with  intermittent  and  ague  fevers ;  and  notwithstanding 
that  one  of  them  had  been  left  behind,  yet  he  then  consider- 
ed them  all  in  good  health.  Their  indis])ositions  were,  no 
doubt,  contracted  while  at  Tampico,  and  on  their  way 
through  the  low  lands  of  the  gulf  coast. 

The  sight  of  these  American  travellers  would  have  been 
a  scene  of  much  curiosity,  to  any  of  the  honest  and  peace- 
ful citizens  of  the  United  States.  They  were  all,  men  and 
women,  bag  and  baggage,  equipped  precisely  as  the  natives 
are,  when  on  a  journey  from  home.  And  indeed  it  is  the 
only  way  that  any  one  can  hope  to  travel  with  any  degree 
of  comfort  and  safety.  Each  man  was  mounted  on  a  good 
horse  and  Spanish  saddle.  Each  saddle  had  holsters,  and 
two  good  pistols  in  them,  and  to  the  left  of  each  saddle  was 
attached  a  long  straight  Toledo  blade.  Each  rider  carried 
a  double  barrelled  gun  before  him,  strapped  to  the  horn  of 
the  saddle.  The  order  in  which  the  whole  party  moved 
was  double  file.  The  ladies  were  protected  by  being  posi- 
tioned in  the  centre  of  the  line  of  their  countrymen.  When 
all  were  mounted  and  on  their  march,  thev  had  a  sinsrular 
appearance,  being  neither  civil  nor  military,  civilized  nor 
savage,  but  in  reality,  partaking  of  something  of  all  those 
aspects  of  mankind. 

Mr.  Peck  informed  me  that  he  liad  anticipated  some  dif- 
ficulty  on  his  way  to  San  Bias,  as  he  had  been  inform- 
ed at  Tampico  that  Gen.  Thompson  had  demanded  his 
passport,  and  in  fact  had  left  the  city  of  Mexico,  in  con- 


I  go  T II  A  V  £  L  S    IN    MEXICO. 

sequence  of  tlic  order  of  tiie  government  of  Mexico,  ex- 
pelling American  citizens  from  the  Californias.  But  it 
aflbrded  me  much  pleasure  at  the  same  time  to  communi- 
cate to  Mr.  Peck,  that  just  six  days  previous,  Gen.  Thomp- 
son had  assured  me  that  there  did  not  exist  any  difficulty 
between  the  two  countries.  I  also  had  the  happiness  to  say 
to  Mr.  Peck,  and  all  of  the  party,  that  Gen.  Thompson  had 
fiivourcd  me  with  the  reading  of  President  Tyler's  message 
to  Gongress,  and  it  seemed  to  please  them  much,  when  I 
alluded  to  the  strong  terms  in  which  Mr.  Tyler  handled  the 
question  of  the  barbarous  war  between  Texas  and  Mexico. 
As  for  myself  I  am  satisfied,  that  if  the  American  people 
generally  were  convinced  of  the  injustice  done  by  Mexico 
to  American  citizens  and  American  commerce,  they  would 
instantly  make  that  country  act  justly  and  honestly  in  her 
ports,  and  towards  American  citizens,  whose  enterprise  has 
induced  them  to  enter  the  interior  of  that  country. 

I  have  heard  it  said,  that  the  United  States  should  block- 
ade all  the  ports  of  Mexico,  and  shut  her  commerce  out  from 
the  world.  I  am  opposed  to  that,  for  it  would  be  doing  what 
Mexico  would  delight  in ;  for  if  the  trade  of  the  world  was 
cut  off  from  her,  her  manufactories  would  then  have  it  in 
their  power  to  impose  upon  her  people  w'ithout  measure. 
Mexico  has  but  little  to  export,  saving  her  silver  and  gold, 
and  that  she  is  desirous  to  retain ;  therefore  she  would  be 
rejoiced  if  the  United  States' would  blockade  her  ports,  so 
that  the  English  companies  could  not  export  the  products  of 
their  labour  from  the  country.  I  am  of  the  opinion,  that 
whenever  she  undertakes  to  chastise  her  neighbour,  she 
should  send  an  army  to  the  northern  deparl^nents  of  Mex- 
ico, which  <Vould  no  sooner  be  done,  than  the  whole  north 
would  throw  itself  under  the  protection  of  the  United  States, 
and  petition  to  become  admitted  into  the  Union. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  all  I  saw  at  Lagos.  The  town 
being  situated  iinnicdiatoly  on  a  river,  there  was  no  want 
of  water.     There  are  two  mills  here  for  the  grinding  of 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  jgo 

wheat,  the  only  ones  I  saw  in  any  town  in  Mexico.  They 
arc  of  ancient  structure  and  built  of  stone.  The  water  was 
conducted  to  them  by  canals  from  the  river,  and  fell  upon 
tub  wheels  within  the  mills.  From  the  abundance  of  water, 
vegetation  flourishes  at  Lagos,  and  many  fruits  can  be  had 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year  at  that  place. 

The  people  at  Lagos  appeared  to  delight  more  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  gardens,  than  those  of  any  town  through  which 
I  had  passed ;  and  while  their  vegetables  were  abundant, 
they  were  more  excellent  than  any  others  which  I  had 
tasted,  more  especially  the  article  of  lettuce,  which  was  of 
large  growth  and  very  brittle,  not  partaking  of  the  tough- 
ness and  bitterness  of  that  produced  in  the  Union.  The  in- 
habitants seemed  to  be  quite  fond  of  this  vegetable,  as  they 
made  the  principal  portion  of  their  meals  of  it ;  and  I  often 
noticed  individuals  with  a  bunch  of  lettuce  in  their  hands, 
walking  the  streets,  eating  it  as  they  went  along. 

The  Mexicans  are  as  fond  of  bathing  in  water  as  are  the 
Spanish  poodles.  Mine  host,  the  Frenchman,  invited  me  to 
a  walk  with  him,  and  whenever  I  was  in  sight  of  the  river, 
or  the  canal  of  the  mills,  I  could  behold  men,  women  and 
children  floundering  in  the  water ;  indeed,  I  passed  near  a 
woman  who  was  sitting  upon  the  side  of  the  canal,  whose 
head  and  shoulders,  streaming  with  her  long  hair,  looked 
like  a  sack  of  white  wool,  from  the  vast  amount  of  soap- 
suds with  which  she  was  covered.  Such  are  the  scenes 
forever  to  be  witnessed,  wherever  the  traveller  comes  to 
water.  Soap  and  water  are  the  best  and  surest  remedies 
in  a  hot  climate  for  removing  vermin  and  filth.  During  my 
walk  with  the  Frenchman  I  admired  much  the  extraordi- 
nary taste,  exhibited  by  the  people  of  that  place,  in  attempt- 
ing to  give  some  gay  appearance  to  the  outside  show  of 
their  houses. 

The  houses  upon  the  street  wall  were  painted  precisely 
as  were  their  rooms,  by  representations  of  vineyards,  gar- 
dens, and  landscape  views,  with  flowers  and  varieties  of 
13 


1 Q  ji  T  R  A  V  £  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

shrubberv,  and  lor  that  climate  the  style  was  not,  in  my 
opinion,  inappropriate ;  besides,  the  eye  of  the  citizen  was 
relieved  from  the  otherwise  dull  and  prison-like  appearance 
of  the  houses.  In  no  other  town,  during  all  my  travels  in 
Mexico,  did  I  witness  houses  similarly  painted. 

On  niv  return  from  walking,  I  found  an  American  negro 
at  the  C'asa  dc  la  Diligencia  waiting  to  see  me;  he  was  the 
only  black  man  I  had  beheld  since  my  departure  from  Vera 
Cruz.  He  told  me  that  his  name  was  Simon,  and  that  he 
was  a  native  of  Louisiana ;  this  I  had  no  doubt  of,  as  his 
English  was  very  broken,  like  that  of  a  Frenchman.  Simon 
said  that  an  Italian  had  taught  him  how  to  grind  the  organ, 
and  that  he  was  travelling  through  Mexico  with  that  instru- 
ment, at  which  business  he  would  do  well,  were  it  not  for 
the  ladrones,  who  never  failed  to  secure  all  of  his  profits. 

Simon  informed  me  that  he  had  been  detained  at  that 
place  by  sickness,  and  was  under  the  care  of  S'r.  Doct. 
Tesus  Anaya.  I  inquired  what  the  doctor  prescribed  for 
him,  and  he  replied,  that  he  was  directed  first  to  bathe 
seven  times,  and  that  afterwards  he  gave  him  some  roots, 
of  which  he  made  teas  to  drink,  but  found  himself  no  better: 
his  cough  was  a  violent  one.  And  here  I  would  remark, 
that  to  practice  medicine  in  Mexico,  the  doctor,  to  be  suc- 
cessful, must  first  minister  to  the  superstition  of  his  patient. 
Nothing  is  more  common  among  the  native  physicians, 
when  called  to  visit  the  sick,  than  to  direct  that  the  invalid 
should  be  bathed  an  odd  number  of  times,  (no  matter  how 
many,  so  that  the  number  is  odd,)  previous  to  taking  any 
medicine.  The  last  and  odd  bath  is  supposed  almost  to 
produce  the  cure,  which  only  requires  the  use  of  a  little 
physic. 

The  physician  has  always  to  make  good  his  fee  before 
he  commences  the  healing  art,  or  otherwise  he  will  receive 
nothing.  The  Mexican,  on  being  confined  by  indisposi- 
tion, hangs  the  picture  of  the  angel  Gabriel  at  the  head  of 
his  bed,  and  during  all  the  time  of  sickness,  he  is  praying 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  iqc 

to  the  saint.  If  he  recovers,  he  attributes  the  cure  to  the 
direct  interposition  of  Gabriel,  and  with  much  sanctity 
makes  a  present  to  the  priest, — leaving  the  doctor  unpaid, 
unless  the  wily  physician  has  received  his  pay  in  advance. 
Doctors  do  not  prosper  well  in  Mexico,  excepting  in  the 
large  cities ;  first,  because  of  the  superstition  of  the  people, 
and  next,  for  the  reason  of  the  great  good  health  of  the  table 
lands. 

Simon  was  desirous  that  I  should  employ  him  as  a  ser- 
vant, but  not  liking  the  cast  of  his  physiognomy,  and  not 
wishing  to  be  troubled  with  the  music  of  his  organ,  as  his 
speaking  English  was  no  inducement,  I  determined  to  de- 
cline the  proposition.  To  convince  me  of  his  bravery,  he 
showed  his  wounds  received  in  hard-fought  battles,  and  re- 
lated the  history  of  the  murder  of  a  party  of  Americans,  to 
whom  he  was  a  servant ;  but  thtjse  were  also  reasons  why 
he  would  not  suit  me,  for  I  did  not  know  but  that  he  micht 
have  been  an  accomplice  in  such  horrid  transactions,  and 
as  much  of  a  robber  as  any  of  the  Mexicans. 

On  the  evening  of  \he  second  day  the  diligencia  was  to 
arrive  from  the  city  of  Mexico.  I  felt  much  gratified  on 
its  arriving  at  the  office,  at  perceiving  that  the  only  passen- 
ger in  it  was  either  an  European  or  an  American;  and 
much  to  my  joy  he  afterwards  proved  to  be  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  although  for  a  long  time  a  resident  in  Mex- 
ico. His  name  I  must  be  excused  from  giving,  as  the  rea- 
sons may  ]iereafter  prove  obvious. 

The  American  was  good  looking,  and  as  intelligent  a 
gentleman  as  I  had  ever  met  with.  His  journey  was  in  the 
same  direction  as  my  own,  at  least  as  far  as  Zacatecas.  I 
icformed  him  of  the  arrangement  made  for  me  by  the  polite 
Frenchman  at  whose  house  we  were,  and  proposed  that 
he  should  share  the  accommodation.  He  gladly  embrac- 
ed the  offer,  and  expressed  much  gratification  at  his  good 
fortune  of  having  it  in  his  power  to  travel  with  a  fellow-- 
countryman. 


196 


TBAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

De,iartiire  from  Lagos.  Chocolate,  cnp.»,  knives  and  forks.  An  American  for  7717 
companion.  The  new  plain  called  I^  Villila.  The  polite  Fix-nchnian.  The  plain 
of  I.a  Villita.  Having  airived  at  La  Villita.  In  towns  in  Mexico.  Public  house* 
called  Maron*.  Furninne.  Spanish  Caritt'lia.  My  misfotriine.  Hive  a  bed  for  the 
night.  Fundi.  Cook-shop.  'I'he  rent  of  the  room.  I-a  Villita.  Departure.  Hoad», 
bridges  and  ways.  Wheeled  Vebiiles.  Ancient  customs.  The  hacienda  PenRuele*. 
The  extensive  ftolds.  An  artificial  lake.  Arguas  Calientas.  Palace  of  the  Gonde  Guad- 
aloupe.  We  were  foreign  j)adres.  Extravagant  charges.  Italian  Opera  company.  The 
city  of  Arguas  Calientas.  Chnrchts,  priests,  and  soldiers.  The  case  of  the  white  Jack 
and  the  people.  Dec\<jjon  of  the  Judge.  American  wagons.  Pleasing  sight.  The 
difference  between  Mexican  and  American  wagons.  The  >Ioors  who  invaded  Spain. 
Our  day's  journey.  Uast,  wind.  The  skin.  Display  of  badges.  Our  ride  for  the  moss 
of  the  day.  Corn-field.  At  San  Jacinto.  The  Indians.  The  lx)dy.guard.  Garrisons 
of  disciplined  regulars.  Conjentures  of  the  people.  Volunteers  of  the  Army.  Her  Bri- 
tanic  Majesty  conquering  Mexico.  Servants  sleeping  on  the  havd,  cold  i)avemeivf.  The 
American  servants.  Remarks  to  the  Secretary  of  American  Legation.  Hot  sun.  South- 
west winds.  Dishonest  ami  barlwroos  habits.  The  more  polished  circles.  Swiixllers, 
thieves  and  murderers.    John  Kandulph.     Gentlemen  of  character  above  suspicion. 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th  instant,  the  American  and 
myself  departed  from  Lagos.  The  carretilla  in  which  we 
were  seated,  was  obtained  from  a  priest,  upon  the  reasona- 
ble terms  of  sixty  dollars  for  the  journey.  Our  equipment 
consisted  of  one  armed  out-rider  and  a  postillion,  to  the  ad- 
miration of  the  good  people  of  Lagos. 

From  the  long  residence  of  the  American  in  Mexico,  I 
was  better  provided  to  meet  all  the  exigencies  of  my  jour- 
ney than  I  otherwise  should  have  been ;  for  although  I  had 
learned  much,  as  to  the  inconveniences  of  travelling  in 
Mexico,  yet  more  I  had  to  glean  at  every  progress  and  each 
change  I  should  make.  My  new  friend  had  provided  us 
with  chocolate,  cups,  sweet  bread,  and  spoons,  with  knives 
and  forks,  articles  which  never  would  have  occurred  to  me 
to  be  necessary  in  my  travels. 

With  an  American  for  my  companion,  my  ride  promised 
to  be  a  pleasing  one.  The  day  was  warm,  but  tempered 
and  rendered  delightful  by  the  winds  continually  blowing 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


197 


fresh  from  the  south-west.  It  was  not  long  after  we  had 
commenced  our  journey,  before  we  passed  the  pleasant  val- 
ley of  Lagos,  by  the  difficult  crossing  of  a  mountain.  The 
pleasing  prospect  of  the  new  plain  presented  to  our  view 
La  Villita. 

But  the  chief  luxury  we  enjoyed,  was  travelling  over  a 
smooth  surface,  mounted  in  state  as  we  were  in  the  priest's 
coach,  attracting  the  attention  of  all  the  country  folks  as  we 
journeyed  along,  for  they  knew  the  vehicle,  and  no  doubt 
imagined  that  the  holy  father  was  seated  within,  and  from 
this  cause  alone  we  had  to  attribute  the  marked  attention 
shown  to  us  on  that  day. 

It  was  a  device  of  mine  host,  the  polite  Frenchman,  for 
he  said  that  he  could  insure  me  my  safety  in  the  well 
known  carretilla,  for  the  Mexicans  would  sooner  eat  off 
their  fingers  than  offer  insult  to  their  beloved  and  holy  priest. 
The  postillion  and  out-rider,  too,  the  body-servants  of  the 
holy  father,  had  their  badges  hanging  in  full  view  from 
around  their  necks,  the  sight  of  which  not  only  held  out  plea- 
sant hopes  to  the  lookers-on,  but  at  the  same  time,  in  the 
bountiful  profusion  of  indulgences  granted  them,  his  favour- 
ites, the  people  had  also  to  dread  his  anger  and  his  denunci- 
ations, if  good  cause  should  demand  them  to  be  exercised. 

I  had  good  reason  to  congratulate  myself  likewise,  that 
it  was  not  my  destiny  on  my  journey,  of  perhaps  half  a 
dozen  days,  to  Zacatecas,  to  be  driven  in  a  diligencia,  un- 
der the  lashing  and  stoning  of  the  animals,  over  rough  and 
smooth,  all  alike,  amid  the  shouts  of  ihe  drivers,  and  the 
barking  of  dogs. 

The  plain  of  La  Villita  was  broad  and  long,  more  than  a 
day's  journey  across.  I  did  not  pass  any  towns  or  water 
on  my  journey,  but,  as  usual,  had  my  attention  chained  by 
the  peculiar  scenery  whicfh  Mexico  always  and  every  where 
presents — that  of  lofty  mountains  fencing  in  an  Eden  be- 
neath. 

Having  arrived  at  La  Villita,  a  town  of  about  two  thou- 


jgg  T  n  A  V  E  r.  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O . 

sand  inhabitants,  we  were  obliged  to  put  up  there,  for  the 
reason  tiiat  we  should  not  be  able  to  find  houses  at  the  close 
of  the  evening,  beyond  that  place,  to  stop  at.  In  having  ta- 
ken leave  of  all  public  ways  of  travelling,  I  found  that  I 
had  also  to  adopt  the  modes  of  accommodation  as  practiced 
in  Mexico,  doing  in  Rome  as  Romans  do — and  the  longer  I 
travelled  the  more  I  had  to  learn,  for  that  is  the  only  way  to 
get  along  in  Mexico ;  as  to  make  a  stranger  understand  ali 
your  wants  and  necessities  is  a  matter  of  impossibility.  Ho- 
tels are  not  kept  here  as  in  the  United  States ;  in  fact, 
agreeable  to  our  understanding  of  tavern-keeping,  there  are 
no  such  things  in  the  country. 

In  towns  in  Mexico,  through  which  there  is  much  travel, 
there  are  public  houses  called  Mesons,  which  are  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  the  caravansaries,  stopped  at  by  tra- 
vellers in  Asia.  Having  selected,  by  inquiry,  the  best  me- 
son at  La  Villita,  and  chosen  one  of  thirteen  rooms  in  the 
establishment  in  the  upper  story,  (for  those  of  the  ground 
floor  apartments  are  chiefly  occupied  by  arrieros  and  other 
filthy  travellers,)  our  baggage  was  carried  into  it ;  and  it  did 
seem  to  me  as  if  we  were  fitting  up  quarters  for  house- 
keeping for  "  life,"  as  the  room  was  entirely  divc-sted  of  aB 
kinds  of  furniture,  saving  a  large  wooden  table  and  a  long 
bench.  .  My  friend  being  acquainted  with  the  customs  of  the 
country,  by  his  long  residence  in  it,  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  city  of  Mexico  his  bed  and  bedding,  called  in  Spa- 
nish cartera.  This  cot  is  so  made  for  travelling  purposes 
that  it  can  be  quickly  put  together,  and  soon  taken  to  pieces. 
It  weighed  with  all  the  bedding  but  fifty  pounds,  and  was 
admirably  adapted  for  the  accommodation  of  the  traveller, 
on  accoimt  of  its  portableness. 

It  happened  to  have  been  my  misfortune  not  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  cartera,  although  I  remembered  being  informed 
by  a  friend,  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  not  to  fail  in  supplying 
myself  with  one.  But  I  deferred  the  purchase  until  I  should 
reach  Zacatecas,  believing  that  I  should  find  no  difficulty  in 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  jgg 

obtaining  a  bed  to  sleep  on,  at  any  iiouse  that  1  might  stop 
at,  as  I  had  always  met  with  them  at  the  Casas  de  la  Dili- 
gencia. 

My  mistake  \va*s  on  tiiis  occasion  very  mortifying  to  me, 
for  I  then  for  the  first  time  became  sensible  that  I  was  to 
repose  without  the  comforts  of  a  bed,  the  luxury  of  which 
I  had  never  before  been  deprived  of;  and  as  I  cast  my  eyes 
over  the  dusty  brick  floor  that  promised  to  rest  my  weary 
limbs,  my  mind's  eye  could  but  review  in  retrospect  the  fea- 
ther beds,  clean  sheets  and  white  cotton  counterpanes  of  old 
Virginia.  In  my  dilemma,  however,  the  American  propo- 
sed that  our  postillion  should  go  into  the  town  and  hire  me 
a  bed  for  the  night. 

The  servant,  after  a  long  absence,  returned  and  acquaint- 
ed us  that  he  was  unsuccessful,  and  that  the  ladies  of  La 
Villita  had  informed  him  that  they  had  use  for  their  beds, 
and  I  could  not  obtain  one  unless  I  would  take  for  life  the 
owner  with  it.  As  flattering  as  the  proposition  was  to  me, 
to  obtain  in  La  Villita  a  companion,  and  as  beautiful  a  one 
perhaps  as  the  Mexican  ladies  were,  yet  in  the  distress  of 
my  fatigue,  and  in  despair,  I  again  directed  the  servant  to 
make  the  second  and  last  effort,  and  to  say  that  I  was  wil- 
ling for  one  night  to  pay  double  price  for  a  bed,  without  the 
incumbrance.  It  was  not  long  before  the  postillion  returned 
with  an  excellent  bed  and  linen  sheets,  with  which,  by  the 
aid  of  my  cloak  to  keep  me  warm,  I  had  a  comfortable  night 
of  it.  My  night's  lodging  cost  me  fifty  cents,  and  as  there 
was  no  fond i  (cook-shop)  attached  to  the  meson,  we  had  to 
despatch  our  servants  to  purchase  of  a  baker  our  repast,  at 
the  rate  of  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  meal.  The 
rent  of  our  room  was  sufficiently  moderate,  as  the  keeper 
only  charged  twenty-five  cents. 

La  Villita  is  an  ugly,  cheerless-looking  place,  and  there  I 
was  deprived  of  much  sleep  by  the  soldiers,  from  an  old  fort 
that  overlooks  the  town,  shouting  and  applauding  some  rope 
dancers  near  the   meson.     At  eiijht  o'clock  the  followincr 


200 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


morning  we  repacked  our  baggage,  and  departed  from  La 
Villita.  The  road  over  which  we  travelled  that  day  was 
equal  to  any  that  I  had  ever  seen,  and  I  doubt  not  that  no 
country  in  the  world  could,  with  as  little  labour,  have  as 
good  roads  as  Mexico. 

The  road  over  which  we  travelled  had  perhaps  never  been 
repaired  since  it  was  first  marked  out  by  the  old  Spaniards. 
It  is  true  that  bridges  had  been  thrown  across  some  rivers, 
and  other  inaccessible  places,  but  the  remainder  of  the  roads 
have  never  been  thrown  up  in  form,  excepting,  as  before  re- 
marked, for  short  distances,  and  near  the  large  towns ;  and 
indeed  there  appears  not  to  have  been  the  necessity  for  that 
attention  to  roads  in  Mexico  as  in  most  other  countries,  as 
the  table  lands  have  no  elevations  that  require  excavations 
for  thoroughfares  through  them,  while  the  depressions  of 
the  mountains  can  be  crossed  without  labour;  besides,  as  it 
rains  there  from  September  until  June,  the  earth  is  always 
in  a  parched  condition  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  so  that 
the  traveller  never  suflers  but  from  dust  or  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  nor  is  retarded  in  his  progress,  excepting  in  the  lake 
regions. 

Another  reason  may  be  assigned  why  the  Mexicans  do 
not  devote  more  attention  to  public  improvements,  w^hich  is, 
that  they  cannot  be  persuaded  to  believe  that  wheeled  vehi- 
cles are  safer  and  better  modes  of  transportation,  than  by 
the  packing  of  mules ;  they  are  like  the  boy  who  went  to 
mill,  with  the  corn  in  one  end  of  the  bag  and  a  stone  in  the 
other  to  balance  it,  could  assign  no  reason  why  he  did  so, 
other  than  that  his  ancestors  did  so  before  him. 

About  fifteen  miles  from  La  Villita,  we  stopped  at  the  ha- 
cienda Pennueles,  to  take  chocolate.  From  the  high  state 
of  improvement  in  that  place,  I  felt  satisfied  that  it  belonged 
to  a  gentleman  of  good  taste.  The  dwelling  in  which  he 
lived  was  commodious,  and  ornamentally  painted  on  the 
outside;  besides,  all  of  the  houses,  necessary  for  his  servants 
and  other  purposes,  partook  of  the  same  degree  of  style. 


TRAVELS   IN    MEXICO.  oqI 

They  were  erected  in  regular  rows,  and  stuccoed,  which 
gave  a  degree  of  finished  freshness  to  the  whole  place,  su- 
perior in  point  of  completeness  to  any  other  hacienda  that  I 
had  passed. 

The  extensive  fields  were  inclosed  by  a  stone  wall  four 
feet  high,  and  discoverable,  from  the  elevated  position  of 
the  castle,  for  many  miles  in  extent ;  and  not  only  reaching 
to  the  mountain,  but  winding  up  its  steep  ascent  beyond  the 
power  of  human  vision.  There  was  an  artificial  lake  near 
the  house,  formed  by  a  stone  dam  of  about  one-quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length,  across  a  shallow,  though  broad,  ravine,  the 
surface  of  whose  waters  was  grateful  to  the  eye  of  a  weary 
traveller  in  that  thirsty  land.  The  proprietor  of  Pefifiueles 
was  a  wheat  grower,  as  by  the  aid  of  the  lake  he  could  ir- 
rigate his  lands. 

Our  journey  was  an  uninterrupted  one  to  Arguas  Calien- 
tes,  at  which  place  we  arrived  late  in  the  evening.  This  is 
a  city  that  has  seen  more  prosperous  days,  and  was  once  the 
pride  of  the  Spaniards.  It  does  not  now  contain  more  than 
four  thousand  inhabitants ;  and,  as  an  evidence  of  its  de- 
cline, the  meson  at  which  we  stopped  was  once  the  sumptu- 
ous palace  of  the  Conde  Guadaloupe — and  a  fine  looking 
building  it  was — better  than  any  I  had  seen  in  the  upper 
country. 

When  we  dismounted  at  the  meson  the  wicked  old  postil- 
lion told  the  mob  in  the  court,  that  we  were  foreign  padres, 
(priests,)  and  with  courteous  smiles,  and  great  reverence,  did 
the  ragged  and  motley  crowd  let  us  pass  to  our  rooms,  with- 
out our  receiving  a  single  dun  for  alms.  After  we  had 
taken  our  quarters,  and  the  servants  had  brought  our  bag- 
gage into  them,  all  the  operations  had  to  be  acted  out,  as 
were  the  evening  before,  at  La  Villita ;  that  of  setting  up 
my  friend's  cartera,  and  of  hiring  myself  a  bed  for  the  night, 
which  I  obtained  for  the  extravagant  charge  of  one  dollar. 

Our  dinner  was  a  most  indifferent  and  unsatisfactory  one 
for  hungry  appetites ;  yet  the  servant  said  that  it  was  the 


202  T  R  A  V  E  L  S  I  .\   iM  E  X  I  C  O . 

best  lie  could  procure  for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents.  It 
cost  me,  likewise,  six-and-a-fourth  cents  to  have  my  pocket 
inkstand  filled;  and  so  extravagant  were  the  prices,  for  eve- 
ry thing,  that  it  caused  me  to  inquire  if  the  people  of  that 
country  Avere  inimical  to  Americans?  to  which  I  was  an- 
swered, that  they  were  only  friendly  to  those  who  had  mo- 
ney; and  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  would  not  hesitate 
much  to  the  mode  of  filching  it  from  the  pockets  of  tra- 
vellers. 

The  prefect  of  that  city,  I  was  told,  was  an  enemy  of  the 
human  species,  by  his  having  been  a  captain  of  banditti. 
However,  I  found  some  amends  for  all  my  hardships  in 
Arguas  Calientas ;  for  at  this  place  I  found  the  Italian  opera 
company  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  who  were  on  a  travelling 
excursion  through  the  upper  country.  INIy  friend  and  self 
spent  a  portion  of  the  night  in  attending  their  delightful  per- 
formances. I  felt  mucli  regret  that  there  were  no  printed 
bills  for  the  accommodation  of  the  audience,  and  for  the 
want  of  these  I  was  unable  to  learn  the  names  of  the 
actors. 

The  city  of  Arguas  Calientas  takes  its  name  from  the  ce- 
lebrated hot-springs  that  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place. 
These  springs  are  said  to  vary  in  temperature  from  80°  to 
120®  Fahrenheit,  and  afford  delightful  baths.  The  invalids 
of  the  surrounding  country  resort  in  considerable  numbers 
to  the  city  for  the  benefits  of  the  hot-baths,  and,  indeed,  are 
never  empty  of  men,  women  and  children  of  the  city,  al- 
though they  are  not  covered  by  houses,  or  shelter  of  any 
kind. 

The  city  is  as  well  built  as  any  other  of  the  Mexican 
towns,  and  has  from  one  to  two  churches  to  every  square ; 
and,  judging  from  the  number  of  priests  and  soldiers  I  saw- 
lounging  about  the  streets,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  believing 
that  a  congregation  of  cither  could  have  been  obtained  at 
any  time.  In  the  centre  of  the  plaza,  in  front  of  the  meson, 
was  a  handsome  fountain,  built  after  the  fashion  of  a  monu- 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  203 

ment.  It  was  a  solid  pillar  of  sionc,  of  about  twenty  feet 
in  height,  sitting  upon  a  square  basement  of  ten  feet  high, 
upon  the  corners  of  which  were  four  swans  in  a  sitting  po- 
sition, spouting  water  from  their  throats. 

To  give  an  idea  how  justice  is  administered  in  Mexico, 
and  the  influence  of  the  wealthy  over  the  administrators  of 
the  law,  I  cannot  refrain  from  relating  a  case  which  came 
before  the  city  prefect  for  his  adjudication. 

It  appeared  that  a  wealthy  citizen  was  the  owner  of  a 
white  guaranon,  (a  jack,)  and  that,  whenever  the  animal 
went  to  the  fountain  wuth  his  master's  water-buckets,  pack- 
ed upon  his  back,  as  was  the  custom,  to  have  them  filled  for 
the  benefit  of  his  owner,  the  naughty  beast  would,  upon  his 
arrival  at  the  common  watering-place,  if  he  found  there  any 
poor  women  or  children,  who  had  also  come  with  their 
earthen  vessels  for  water,  for  the  reason  that  they  could  not 
be  the  owners  of  such  animals  as  himself,  through  mischief 
or  pride,  or  some  other  cause,  jump  and  kick  all  about  until 
he  would  completely  demolish  all  the  crockery  of  the  terri 
fied  and  defenceless  sufl^erers.  Such  doings  had  long  been 
complained  of  by  the  good  citizens,  but  his  master  w\is  rich, 
and  it  was  thought  useless  to  prefer  a  charge  against  the 
wealthy  man,  to  the  town  authority,  of  the  many  breaches 
of  the  peace  committed  by  the  wicked  creature. 

It  happened  one  day,  however,  that  while  Guaranon  was 
on  his  way  to  the  said  fountain,  and,  as  usual,  all  the  good 
people  were,  at  the  sight  of  him,  scampering  with  their  frail 
jars  from  the  watering-place,  which  was  designed  for  the 
benefit  of  all  the  inhabitants,  the  said  white  beast,  as  it  were, 
perceiving  that  he  could  not,  by  the  retreat  of  the  poor  wa- 
ter-carriers, have  a  frolic,  smashing  jugs  at  the  fountain, 
suddenly  turned  aside  into  a  market-place,  and,  driving  out 
all  the  buyers  and  sellers,  he  made  his  heels  dance  amongst 
the  toy,  dry-goods  and  glass-ware  stands,  as  w-ell  as  by 
overturning  many  pyramids  of  fruit  and  precious  chili, 
committing  grievous  trespass.     So  great  was  the  outrage 


2Q4  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

that  the  hucksters  could  not  endure  it;  and,  although  his 
master  was  rich,  they  all  determined,  to  the  great  joy  of 
the  water-carriers,  to  sue  for  damages.  Accordingly,  the 
owner  was  summoned  to  appear  before  the  honourable  pre- 
fect, judge  of  the  law. 

TJie  master  did  not  hesitate  to  appear,  and  when  the 
charges  were  preferred,  he,  in  defence,  said,  that  the  jack 
was  a  dumb  brute,  and  that  he  could  not  hold  himself  re- 
sponsible for  his  acts,  and  if  the  learned  prefect  wished  to 
prosecute  a  suit  for  the  benefit  of  the  market-people,  that 
he  must  send  for  the  animal,  the  guilty  one,  and  not  for 
him,  to  answer  to  the  allegations.  He  was  accordingly  dis- 
charged, and  the  guaranon  duly  summoned  and  brought  into 
court,  where  it  was  thought,  from  his  sense  of  guilt,  he  be- 
haved decently.  The  judge,  unable  to  obtain  any  defence 
from  the  dumb  prisoner  at  the  bar,  and  having  sufficient 
evidence  against  him,  proceeded  to  deliver  the  judgment  of 
the  court,  and  decided  that  the  animal  should  have  twenty 
lashes  upon  his  bare  back,  and  work  at  hard  labour  upon 
the  public  streets,  for  the  term  of  three  months. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  we  again  commenced 
our  journey,  and,  having  reached  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  I 
discovered  ten  American  wagons  encamped  near  the  high- 
way. Upon  inquiry,  I  found  that  a  majority  of  those  wa- 
gons had  American  drivers,  but  the  wagons  and  teams  were 
the  property  of  a  Frenchman,  residing  in  the  department  of 
Chihuahua,  and  that  he  had  transported  them  from  Saint 
Louis,  Mo.,  by  land,  to  Mexico,  and  I  was  told,  that  not 
unfrequently  those  wagons  made  trips  from  Chihuahua  to  the 
city  of  Mexico,  a  distance  of  one  thousand  miles.  I  was 
informed  that  they  had  made  drives,  from  the  above  city, 
of  more  than  two  thousand  miles,  to  Santa  Fe. 

It  may  be  surprising  to  some  persons,  that  I  should  have 
taken  any  notice  of  the  wagon-train ;  but  to  an  American, 
who  was  travelling  far  distant  from  his  native  land,  in  the 
midst  of  a  people  differing  in  language,  usages,  and,  in  fact, 


TRAVELS    IN    RIEXICO.  OQS 

in  all  their  appearances,  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  it 
could  not  be  astonishing  that  my  attention  should  have  been 
attracted  by  any  thing  American,  and  that  I  should  have 
been  delighted  in  beholding  a  fellow-countryman,  though  a 
wagoner. 

It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  attempt  to  describe  the 
difference  between  the  American  and  the  Mexican  wagon. 
Without  exception,  the  Mexican  constructed  wagon  has  but 
two  wheels,  and  is  manufactured,  generally,  without  the  use 
of  iron.  The  hub  is  a  single  cut  from  a  tree,  about  twenty- 
eight  inches  in  length,  and  fifteen  in  diameter.  There  are 
but  four  spokes  to  a  wheel,  four  inches  through ;  while  the 
felloes  are  twelve  inches  thick,  and  as  many  broad.  The 
whole  is  made  of  the  heavy,  strong  wood  of  the  country, 
and,  from  its  solidity,  is  difficult  to  break.  The  body  of  the 
wagon  is  about  equally  balanced  over  the  axletree,  the  front 
resting  upon  the  tongue,  after  the  fashion  of  the  ox-carts  in 
the  United  States.  The  body  is  never  planked,  but  thatched 
with  straw,  as  also  the  sharp  roof  to  it. 

From  eight  to  twelve  oxen  are  at  a  time  yoked  by  the 
horns,  and  not  with  a  bow  over  the  neck ;  while  the  driver 
carries  a  stout  pole,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  length,  having 
a  sharp  metal  spear  affixed  to  the  smaller  end,  by  the  cruel 
use  of  which  they  prick  and  goad  the  animals  along.  It  is 
true,  that  there  are  some  lighter  wagons  used  in  the  cities,  , 
which  have  two  sets  of  shafts,  so  that  the  whole  weight  of 
the  body  of  the  wagon  rests  upon  the  backs  of  the  horses. 
However,  as  transportation  is  carried  on  the  backs  of  mules, 
they  have  but  little  use  for  wagons  in  Mexico. 

The  individual  who  visits  Mexico,  from  every  thing  that 
surrounds  him,  finds  himself  retrograding  to  the  age  of  the 
Romans,  in  some  things,  while  in  others,  to  the  days  of 
Abraham.  The  Moors,  who  invaded  Spain,  brought  nothing 
of  improvement  with  them,  and  the  Spaniards,  who  conquer- 
ed Mexico,  have  indelibly  stamped  the  character  of  the 
people  of  that  country  wdth  a  predominant  prejudice  against 


20(3  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

all  the  useful  arts.  All  of  their  implements  of  agriculture, 
and  simple  fixtures  of  raw  hide  harness,  are  of  primeval 
invention,  and  the  present  Mexican  seems  to  have  degene- 
rated from  what  their  masters  had  perfected  them  in. 

Our  day's  journey  was  a  dusty  one,  for  the  wind  set 
strong  from  the  south-west,  from  which  quarter  it  scarcely 
ever  changes  its  direction  during  the  dry  season.  As  we 
were  gradually  ascending  a  more  elevated  table  country 
from  Lagos  to  Zacatecas,  those  strong  winds,  sweeping 
from  the  Pacific  over  the  plains,  have  a  disagreeable  effect 
upon  the  traveller.  For  in  the  first  place,  it  must  be  re- 
membered, that  we  were  at  least  seven  or  eight  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  under  the  tropical  sun, 
where  rain  had  not  moistened  the  earth  for  months,  and 
then  had  a  continual  current  of  strong  wind  blowing  upon 
us,  its  drying  intluences  being  felt  according  to  my  previous 
conceptions  of  its  deleterious  effects. 

Los  h'a,  as  the  Mexicans  call  it,  (the  air,)  appeared  to  have 
absorbed  the  fluids  of  my  eyes,  and  they  had  more  or  less 
distressed  me,  from  the  time  of  my  first  ascending  upon  the 
table  land ;  besides  my  skin  had  entirely  become  divested  of 
moisture,  as  if  the  liquids  of  the  system  had  refused  to  per- 
form their  functions.  The  skin  had  a  hard  parched  aspect, 
as  if  it  was  almost  audible  to  the  touch;  wliile  in  the  shade 
I  was  neither  cold  nor  hot,  and  with  not  so  pleasant  a  feel- 
ing as  lukewarmness. 

The  dry  earth,  under  all  of  these  causes,  was  easily 
raised  in  clouds  of  dust,  and  as  it  floated  in  solid  bodies,  like 
a  sirocco,  or  a  whirlwind,  we  were  obliged,  with  mouth  and 
eyes  shut,  to  charge  through  the  thick  array ;  but  as  ex- 
hausted nature  would  require  respiration,  it  could  not  be 
performed,  but  by  taking  the  dust  with  the  atmosphere  on 

the  lungs.     Well  did  I  dread  the  ira  as  the  Mexicans,  al- 
es 

though  it  has  often  been  hooted  at  by  some  foreigners,  who 
have  had  but  a  short  residence  in  the  country.  We  had 
not  been  long  on  our  way  that  morning  before  I  observed 


TRAVELS    IM   MEXICO. 


207 


that  our  out-rider  had  made  a  more  considerable  display  of 
badges  than  at  any  former  period,  and  upon  iiKjuiring  the 
reason  of  the  increased  ostentation,  he  informed  me,  that  as 
murders  were  very  frecjuently  committed  on  tlic  road  we 
had  that  day  to  travel,  he  wished  the  more  strongly  to  im- 
press the  robbers,  that  he  belonged  to  the  coach  o{  a  father; 
and  thus  the  man  believed  that  religion  could  restrain  the 
hand  of  a  pirate,  when  the  laws  of  his  country  would  not. 

Our  road,  for  the  most  part  of  the  day,  was  over  a  bar- 
ren country,  and  I  discovered  that  in  many  places  of  the 
plains,  the  blue  thistle,  or  weed,  that  has  in  recent  years  co- 
vered the  fields  of  some  States  in  the  Union,  and  in  fact, 
supplanted,  in  many  instances,  the  brown  stravv^  and  other 
spontaneous  vegetation, — abounded  in  that  region,  and  as 
the  American  planter  was  at  a  loss  to  conjecture  from 
whence  the  new  invader  came,  may  it  not  be  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  animals,  brought  through  Texas  to  the  United 
States,  carried  with  them  the  seeds  of  the  useless  and  bar- 
barous growth. 

In  the  evening  we  travelled  by  the  side  of  a  continued 
corn  field,  which  extended  some  seven  or  eight  miles.  This 
I  know  is  difficult  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States  to 
believe,  but  is  nevertheless  true.  With  equal  veracity  it  is 
stated,  that  the  eye  could  not  detect  the  breadth  of  the  cul- 
tivated field,  for  it  was  lost  in  distance  over  the  level  plain. 
It  was  the  hacienda  of  San  Jacinto,  and  was  the  property 
of  Conde  Perez  Galvez.  Besides  the  maize  grown  on  that 
farm,  there  were  wheat  and  other  crops.  At  San  Jacinto 
terminated  our  journey  for  that  day.  My  bed  here  cost 
me  seventy-five  cents,  and  indeed  my  sleeping  was  dearer 
to  me  than  my  eating ;  and  but  for  the  fact,  that  I  should 
reach  Zacatecas  on  the  following  day,  I  had  determined 
that  I  would  not  repose  at  all,  but  employ  my  time  it  writ- 
ing, and  sleep  in  the  day  time,  while  travelling  in  the  coach. 

At  the  meson  of  San  Jacinto  many  officers  of  the  Mexi- 
can service  had  stopped,  and  among  them  was  a  Deputy 


208  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

• 

from  the  department  of  Santa  Fe :  his  name  has  escaped 
me,  but  he  stated  that  the  Camanche  Indians  had  made  war 
upon  the  department  of  Chihuahua,  and  were  destroying  all 
before  them.  He  related  that  he  had  had  a  distant  view  of 
Indians  who  were  engaged  in  murdering  all  the  inhabitants 
of  a  hacienda.  He  said  it  was  calculated  that  the  Indians 
had  taken  the  lives  of  about  three  hundred  thousand  Mexi- 
cans in  the  last  five  years,  and  that  hundreds  of  haciendas, 
which  had  not  been  devastated  by  the  Indians,  had  been 
abandoned  to  the  merciless  foe  by  their  proprietors.  I  was 
of  the  opinion,  from  the  narration  of  the  deputy,  that  the 
Texians,  in  some  short  period,  would  only  have  to  subdue 
the  savage  conquerors  of  the  northern  departments,  and  peo- 
ple them  with  the  Anglo  Saxon  race. 

With  the  body-guard  of  the  deputy,  and  the  military  of- 
ficers who  were  quartered  at  the  meson  of  San  Jacinto,  for 
that  night,  if  they  were  brave,  we  could  have  resisted  a  con- 
siderable force  of  Indians.  From  the  many  cavalcades  that 
were,  from  every  direction  of  Mexico,  making  their  way  to 
the  capitol,  many  were  the  speculations  created  by  the  good 
people  of  the  country.  Some  were  of  the  opinion  that  Santa 
Anna  designed  another  revolution,  with  the  object  of  mak- 
ing himself  the  absolute  and  permanent  despot.  Whilst 
others  believed  that  the  President  was  organizing  a  body  of 
troops  for  the  conquest  of  the  United  States.  Their  igno- 
rance was  to  be  pitied ;  the  foreigners  and  the  intelligent 
portion  of  the  Mexicans  felt  satisfied  that  preparations  were 
making  for  the  invasion  of  Texas. 

It  appears  to  be  necessary,  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
government  of  Mexico,  that  every  city,  town,  and  farm 
should  be  strongly  garrisoned  with  well  armed  and  disci- 
plined regulars.  These  troops,  in  my  estimation,  are  not 
what  they  are  represented  to  be  by  some,  as  having  been 
taken  from  the  prisons  and  hospitals  of  the  country,  which 
in  some  periods  of  the  revolution,  has  been  the  case.  But 
on  the  contrary,  they  are  now  likely,  active  young  men,  se- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  20Q 

lected  from  the  athletic  of  the  whole  population  of  the  re- 
public. 

My  attention  was  attracted,  while  in  the  city  of  Mexico, 
by  beholding  some  four  or  five  iiundred  men  march  into  the 
place,  dressed  in  all  the  peculiar  and  tattered  costumes  of 
the  country.  A  gentleman  informed  me  that  those  men 
were  volunteers  for  the  army,  and  that  they  were  obtained 
by  a  squad  of  soldiers,  who  marched  through  the  villages 
and  haciendas,  capturing  the  best  looking  men  of  those 
places:  and  although  the  poor  wretches  would  lament  and 
remonstrate  much  at  first,  yet  when  they  had  received  their 
uniforms  and  found  themselves  well  provided  for,  they  be- 
come pleased  and  delighted  with  their  condition. 

The  soldiers  of  Mexico  have  been  mostly  impressed  from 
among  the  aborigines,  while  the  officers  have  had  their  ap- 
pointments generally  from  among  the  Spanish  race,  and 
foreigners  of  every  nation.  If  the  people  of  Mexico  are  not 
military,  they  must  become  so,  under  the  present  military 
despotism,  by  which  they  are  governed.  And  if  Mexico 
should  continue  to  be  ruled  by  an  ambitious  chieftain,  the 
United  States  may  have  a  troublesome,  strong  and  envious 
neighbour.  It  is  not  wisdom  to  despise  an  enemy  until  the 
breaches  are  repaired,  and  the  fallen  towers  are  rebuilt,  for 
the  garrison  will  thereby  become  refreshed  and  invigorated 
within,  and,  in  an  hour  not  expected,  the  self-secure  may  be 
surprised,  and  with  a  heavy  loss,  taught  to  turn  their  con- 
tempt into  admiration,  if  not  trembling. 

On  a  certain  occasion  an  officer  of  her  Britannic  majesty 
was  in  conversation  with  me,  upon  the  subject  of  the  elii- 
ciency  of  the  Mexican  army,  and  I  could  only  be  amused  at 
the  fluency  of  his  imagination.  The  captain  said  that  her 
royal  highness,  Queen  Victoria,  would  not  want  an  easier 
task  than  to  subdue  Mexico,  for  she  M^ould  only  have  to 
send  over  some  two  or  three  thousand  negroes  from  the 
West  Indies,  and  after  they  had  lassoed  some  one  or  two 
tiiousand  Mexican  Indian^-,  and  they  found  that  they  were 
14 


.)iQ  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

well  fed,  and  clothed  in  the  red  coats  of  her  majesty's  troops 
— the  balance  of  the  Indians  would  soon  come  in,  and  there 
would  be  no  battle  to  fight.  However,  I  am  of  the  opinion 
that,  if  her  majesty's  black  troops  were  to  come  to  Mexico, 
they  would  meet  with  the  same  gallant  reception  that  the 
French  did  in  1839, — and  that  they  would  have  to  make 
the  best  of  their  escape,  to  prevent  being  lassoed  in  turn. 

At  the  break  of  day,  my  American  friend  and  self  arose 
from  our  carteras  to  commence  our  journey,  it  being  the 
20th  day  of  January.     When  I  opened  the  door  of  our  room 
it  was  with  pain  I  perceived  that  our  servants,  (one  of  them 
was  an  old  man,)  w^ere  lying  upon  the  hard  and  cold  pave- 
ment of  the  court  of  the  meson.     The  night  w^as  the  coldest 
that  I  had  felt  since  my  arrival  in  the  country,  and  I  found 
that  a  close  room,  with  several  lays  of  light  clothing,  w'as 
necessary  to  make  me  comfortable.     But  having  given  ex- 
pression to  my  sympathy,  my  friend  informed  me  that  it 
was  the  habit  of  all  the  servants  of  the  countiy,  and  that  in 
any  of  the  climates  of  IMexico,  the  common  classes  pre- 
ferred sleeping  in  the  open  air,  to  being  lodged  with  the 
fleas  in  the  houses,  summer  or  winter.     From  the  dryness 
of  the  atmosphere,  no  known  diseases  are  said  to  have  been 
engendered  from  the  exposure.     The   American  servants 
who  have  ever  been  used  to  summer  and  winter  clothing, 
besides  having  blankets  and  fires  in  their  rooms,  could  not, 
if  transported  to  Mexico,  stand  what  Americans  call  expo- 
sure, for  the  entirely  different  habits  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States  from  those  of  that  country  are  such,  that  I 
have  no  doubt  that  persons  of  the  hardiest  constitutions 
would  perish  under  the  hardshi])s.     The  Indian  servants  of 
Mexico  have,  by  nature,  no  fears  to  apprehend  from  storms 
or  change  of  climate.     From  the  experience  of  those  who 
have  seen  much  of  the  world,  it  has  been  acceded,  that  the 
slaves  of  the  south  and  west  of  the  Union  are  better  provided 
for,  and  are  happier  than  the  indigent  servile  communities 
of  any  other  part  of  the  world. 


TR  A  VELS   IN  MEX  ICO.  ,.,, 

A  Mexican  gentleman  once  remarked  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  American  Legation,  that  lie  had  visited  New  Orleans,  and 
was  very  much  pleased  with  the  city,  but  that  he  could  not 
bear  to  witness  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  slaves.  The  se- 
cretary appropriately  replied,  by  inquiring,  if  he  had  ever 
compared  the  relative  condition  of  the  slaves  of  the  United 
States  with  the  servants  of  his  own  country?  and  if  he  had, 
his  sympathy  would  be  the  more  awakened  by  beholding 
the  aggravated  sufferings  of  servitude  among  his  own  blood 
and  fellow-countrymen. 

Since  I  have  touched  upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  I  will 
here  take  the  privilege  of  saying  that  nothing,  to  my  mind, 
can  be  more  absurd,  under  the  American  constitution,  than  to 
attempt  to  break  the  bands  of  relationship  between  master 
and  slave,  without  giving  entire  and  perfect  civil  liberty  to 
the  disenthralled  free  men ;  for  liberty,  otherwise,  to  the 
black  man,  would  be  a  mockery  and  a  paradox.  This  sen- 
timent I  express  in  strict  truth  and  justice  to  the  subject — 
not  that  I  desire  either  of  the  modes,  or  wish  to  meddle  with 
the  delicate  institutions  of  my  country. 

Our  journey  for  this  day  was  as  the  preceding  one ;  a 
hot  sun,  hard  south-west  wind  prevailing,  with  clouds  of 
dust,  and  often  during  the  day  the  wind  was  more  violent 
than  I  had  known  it  to  be  on  any  former  occasion,  for  I 
could  at  elevated  points  hear  the  gravel  strike  against  the 
sides  of  the  coack  The  hard  winds  of  this  region  are  at- 
tributed to  the  higher  elevation  of  that  part  of  the  country 
over  any  of  the  plains  south  of  it.  Zacatecas  is  to  Mexico, 
what  Mount  Airy,  in  Virginia,  is  to  the  United  States,  for 
the  waters,  that  have  their  rise  at  either  of  those  places, 
flow  to  both  oceans,  east  and  west,  and  north  and  south,  af- 
fording conclusive  evidence  that  its  summit  is  above  any 
other  portion  of  table  lands  in  Mexico.  It  is  said  to  be 
8,500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

I  felt  rejoiced  that  my  journey  would  terminate  on  that 
day  in  the  Padre's  coach :  although  it  was  with  son.c  ap- 


212  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

prehensions  that  I  should  not  be  so  fortunate  again.  How- 
ever, we  did  not  have  a  happy  deliverance  from  all  moles- 
tation, for  about  two  o'clock  in  the  evening,  a  party  of  men 
were  discovered  in  pursuit  of  us,  and,  upon  their  overtaking 
the  coach,  armed  with  guns,  swords  and  pistols,  they  advan- 
ced by  dividhig  their  party  upon  each  side  of  us,  three  on 
one  and  two  upon  the  other.  They  most  impertinently  scru- 
tinized our  persons  and  our  baggage,  yet  without  making  the 
least  hostile  show.  If  they  had,  as  undesirable  as  the  neces- 
sity would  have  been,  myself  and  friend  were  resolved  tt) 
defend  our  lives  and  our  property,  and  were  well  prepared 
for  the  rencontre.  It  was  our  intention  that  both  of  us 
should  maintain  the  action  upon  our  two  sides  at  once  with 
our  six  barreled  pistols,  flanked  as  we  were  with  the  ene- 
my. Our  escape,  perhaps,  from  harm,  resulted  first  from 
riding  in  the  priest's  coach,  and  next,  by  our  being  foreign- 
ers. 

Such  a  condition  of  dishonest  and  barbarous  habits,  ex- 
isting in  a  country  called  civilized  and  Christian,  must  ap- 
pear to  the  nations  of  Christendom  to  be  incredible,  but  the 
truth  has  nevertheless  been  attested  by  all  travellers  who 
liave  had  the  temerity  to  journey  much  in  the  territory  of 
ill-fated  Mexico.  From  the  dreadful  results  of  the  attacks 
by  f/ccbooters,  committed  upon  men  and  women,  whose 
business  has  called  ihcm  abroad,  it  would  be  madness  in 
any  individual  to  attempt  a  journey,  without  furnishing  him- 
self first  with  all  the  necessary  equipments  of  defence. 

The  consequence  of  such  an  imperative  custom  is,  that 
you  cannot  at  any  time  see  a  miserable  huckster  driving  a 
donkey,  or  a  peasant  engaged  in  his  agricultural  pursuits, 
without  his  having  his  gun  and  rusty  old  spear  swinging  to 
the  side  of  his  half-starved  animal.  I  would  impress  upon 
the  minds  of  my  readers  that  there  are  no  unarmed  citizens 
in  Mexico — it  matters  not  when  or  where  you  find  the  man, 
in  his  house,  in  the  street,  or  on  the  highwav,  although  he 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  oiT 

may  be  needy  for  food  or  raiment,  yet  you  will  see  an  im- 
plement of  death  in  his  hands,  for  the  double  purpose  of  at- 
tack and  defence. 

As  a  people,  the  more  polished  circles  of  society,  as  also 
the  lower  classes,  possess  decorum  and  finished  manners, 
and  in  their  guileless  aspect,  and  professions  of  punctilious 
performances,  the  stranger,  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
Mexicans,  has  much  to  admire — yet,  at  the  same  time,  if 
his  confidence  should  be  won  in  them,  he  will  often  find 
himself  the  dupe  of  the  b;isest  treachery. 

True,  there  sliould  and  must  be  some  good,  honest,  and 
high-minded  citizens  in  Mexico ;  yet,  so  difficult  are  they 
to  be  found,  and  so  few  the  number  known  to  the  world, 
that  they  are  not  sufficient  to  give  respectable  character  to 
society.  It  is  a  fnct  that  perfection  cannot  be  found  any- 
where, and  some  wicked  persons  are  to  be  met  with  in  eve- 
ry community;  yet  it  is  monstrous  when  the  great  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  a  country  are  swindlers,  thieves,  and 
murderers,  in  an  unqualified  manner,  as  is  the  case  in  Mexi- 
co; it  must  be  with  shame  and  remorse  that  Christianity 
and  civilization,  in  the  enlightened  world,  are  compelled  to 
denounce  them  as  a  nation  of  pirates. 

It  is  needless  to  garble  the  truth,  for  covering  the  ini- 
quities of  these  people  in  any  form,  is  but  encouraging  them 
in  the  perverseness  of  their  ways,  and  deluding  the  creduli- 
ty of  those  who  are  earnest  seekers  after  information,  some 
perhaps  for  future  interested  motives.  Far  be  it  from  me  to 
beguile  a  foreigner  into  the  serious  difficulties  and  dangers 
which  must  follow  the  travelling  and  residing  of  any  one  in 
Mexico. 

Never  could  have  I  comprehended  the  correctness  of  Mr. 
Randolph's  declaration,  upon  the  floor  of  Congress,  that,  in 
Mexico,  "  the  men  were  all  rogues,  and  the  women  ail 
******,"  and  have  been  impressed  with  the  great  error  and 
responsibility  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  when 
she  received  that  country  into  the  family  of  nations,  until 


Oi  <  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

chance  and  necsesity  obliged  me  to  visit  Mexico,  and  when 
there  I  was  compelled  to  believe  ocular  demonstration.  I 
have  the  boldness  fearlessly  to  charge  home  tlie  disgrace 
of  their  national  character,  with  the  sincere  desire  that 
it  may  be  but  as  a  drop  in  the  bucket,  to  chastise  our 
sister  rc})ublic  into  reform. 

The  government  of  Mexico,  in  1842,  made  some  efforts 
to  break  down  the  universal  practice  of  wearing  arms,  by 
Santa  Anna's  issuing  a  decree  that  none,  excepting  gentle- 
men of  character  above  suspicion,  should  be  permitted  li- 
cence to  have  private  arms;  yet  the  decree  failed  ta  cor- 
rect the  evil,  for  the  good  citizens  all  believed  that  they 
came  up  to  the  requirements  of  the  law;  besides,  the  keep- 
ers of  the  custom-houses  would  have  been  foiled  in  securing 
their  fees  had  they  enforced  the  intentions  of  the  decree. 
Therefore  the  robber,  as  well  as  the  honest  man,  alike,  as 
formerly,  carried  weapons. 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 


21J 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Del  Refugio.  Flock  of  sheep.  The  Iiacieiul.i  Paras.  Ascending  the  Plain.  The  Mexi  - 
cans  in  the  fields.  Vein  of  silvei-  on  the  surface.  Abundance  of  silver  ore.  Laws  of 
Mexico  on  Mining.  The  principal  vein  of  silver.  The  appearance  of  the  range  of 
Mountains.  A  large  Convent.  High  wall.  Don  Garcear's  granary.  Battle-ground. 
CJeneral  Andrade  Santa  Anna.  Colonel  Harcourt's  defeat  of  the  Zacatecans.  Santa  Anna 
flushed  with  pride.  Conquest  of  the  United  States  and  Texas.  Napoleon  of  America. 
First  vit-w  of  Zacatecas.  The  streets.  Meson.  The  American  my  interpreter.  An  Irish 
gentlemen.  Many  public  huiUlings.  l.a  Parroqnia  Convento  de  Muestro  Senora  del 
Petrocenis.  The  Saint.  Location  of  the  resident  Saint.  Subject  of  divinity.  Govern- 
ment Palace.  Spanish  Marquis.  Child  cliristeiud.  'I'he  Mint  of  Zacatecas.  Mr.  .Fohn 
Scott.  Mexican  horse.  Hacienda  de  Beneficio  Santa  Clement.  Cultivated  gardens. 
Water  from  the  Mines.  Bags  of  hides.  Ropes  of  Iiide.  Shafts  of  the  Mines.  The  ore 
yards.  Labourers.  Captains.  Specimens  of  silver  ore.  Native  silver.  Reflections. 
The  eminence  of  Santa  Clement.  Mountain  and  Valley  Scenery.  Machine  for  pulveri- 
y.ing  ore.  One  thousand  bushels  of  ore.  Washing  the  ore.  Examinations  of  the  labouv- 
eis.      Thefts.      The  blackleg. 

DuRiivG  our  day's  journey  we  had  to  pass  Del  Refugio,  a 
hacienda  said  to  be  of  considerable  value.  I  was  informed 
that  the  present  possessor  is  not  its  proper  owner,  but  that, 
upon  the  demise  of  its  proprietor,  in  fee  sijjiple,  the  credit- 
ors of  the  deceased  disagreed  about  the  sale  of  the  estate, 
and  the  limb  of  the  law  who  had  been  appointed  curator  of 
the  property,  having  the  possession,  chose  to  retain  it  in  de- 
fiance of  the  just  claims  of  the  creditors. 

At  Del  Refugio  I  saw  a  herd  of  sheep  that  must  have 
numbered  several  thousands,  and,  as  they  extended  over  the 
plain,  they  looked  like  a  vast  moving  body  of  snow.  I  wish 
to  impress  the  mind  of  the  reader  that,  as  the  traveller  ad- 
vances north,  and  approaches  one  of  these  valuable  estates, 
he  will  behold  immense  herds  of  stock  of  all  kinds ;  and,  as 
a  test  of  the  truth  of  my  assertion,  I  will  only  cite  the  his- 
tory of  a  hacienda  which  a  few  years  ago  caused  some 
litigation  in  the  city  of  London,  England. 

The  haciendia  Paras,  signifying  a  vine,  was  the  only  es- 
tate in  Mexico  where  the  grape  was  permitted  to  be  cultiva- 
ted by  the  king  of  Spain.  It  was,  previous  to  the  revolu- 
tion, the  property  of  a  Spanish  nobleman,  but  after  the  in- 


rtjg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

dependence  of  Mexico,  he  sold  it  to  a  Spanish  house  in  the 
city  of  Mexico,  and  then  it  was  resold  to  the  house  of  Sta- 
ples (St  Co.,  of  the  same  city.  The  Barings,  of  London,  af- 
terwards became  the  purchasers,  but  were  prevented  from 
holding  the  property  by  the  Deputies  of  Mexico  passing  a 
law  preventing  foreigners  from  buying  or  selling  lands  in 
that  country ;  and  it"is  said  that  the  speculations  of  the  Pa- 
ras hacienda  gave  origin  to  the  passage  of  the  act.  This 
estate,  I  was  credibly  informed,  besides  the  extensive  vine- 
yards, producing  many  thousand  gallons  of  wines  and  alco- 
holic liquors,  possessed,  when  the  Barings  purchased  it,  up- 
wards of  three  hundred  thousand  head  of  sheep,  with  a  cor- 
responding proportion  of  other  stock. 

As  we  gradually  ascended  the  plain  to  the  mountains  of 
Zacatecas,  we  were  exposed  to  a  heavy  cold  wind,  that 
swept  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  unimpeded  by  forest.  I 
was  sometimes  diverted  by  the  Mexicans  in  the  fields^ 
whoso  loose  serapis  would,  by  the  violence  of  the  winds,. 
float  from  their  shoulders  like  the  wings  of  so  many  sopi- 
lotes,  buzzarfls,  as  if  tho  native:s  would  bo.  flown  away  with^ 

At  about  three  o'clock  in  the  evening,  my  American  com- 
panion pointed  out  to  me  the  rich  mountains  of  Zacatecas, 
in  a  deep  gorge  of  which  was  built  the  city  of  the  same 
name.  The  American  had,  during  his  residence  in  Mexico, 
been  engaged  in  mining  at  that  place,  and  could  therefore, 
from  his  perfect  acquaintance  with  it,  minutely  trace  out, 
for  my  understanding,  a  vein  of  silver  ore,  the  only  instance 
of  the  kind  known  in  tlie  world,  which  rose  to  the  surface 
of  the  plain,  and  with  precision  follow  its  ascent  up  the 
mountain,  and  describe  the  visible  walls  and  buildings, 
where  shafts  had  been  sunk  upon  the  vein  and  its  branches^ 

I  was  much  surprised  when  I  perceived  that  the  veins  of 
silver  ore  were  perceptible  upon  the  surface,  for  I  had  ima- 
gined that  the  treasures  of  nature  lay  buried  deep  beneatli 
mother  earth  and  tiie  mountain-rock,  obscured  from  all 
anxious  eyes,  as  does  the  rich  man's  money  in  liis  hidden 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  217 

coffers.  But  not  so  with  bountiful  nature  at  Zacatecas,  for 
she  hns,  with  the  finger  of  her  plentiful  hand,  plainly  mark- 
ed out  the  useful  ore  to  the  view  of  man,  so  that  he  cannot 
be  foiled,  or  unrewarded  in  his  labours  in  excavating  the 
precious  metals. 

The  laws  of  Mexico  bountifully  provide  for  the  miners, 
as  it  is  the  privilege  of  any  one  to  search  for  ores,  and  to 
work  the  veins  when  found,  as  his  exclusive  prerogative. 
When  an  individual  has  made  a  discovery  of  rich  ore,  it  is 
his  duty  to  survey  a  given  number  of  acres  of  land,  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  the  mine,  and  have  the  same  recorded  in 
the  office  of  the  alcalde.  He  must  then  commence  to  work 
it  in  ten  d:iys'  time,  with  a  particular  number  of  hands,  and, 
at  stated  periods,  increase  his  expenditures  to  an  amount 
limited  by  law.  The  discoverer,  failing  to  comply  with  the 
requisitions,  forfeits  all  claim  and  title  to  the  properly,  and 
may  be  ousted  by  the  will  of  any  other  occupant  who  can 
punctiliously  perform  the  demands  of  government.  The 
proprietor  of  the  land  upon  which  the  discovery  has  been 
made,  is  always  pleased  at  the  location  of  mining-opera- 
tions upon  his  territories,  for  it  brings  to  his  doors  a  ready 
market  for  all  the  surplus  of  his  hacienda  campus.  Being 
contented  with  the  profits  of  his  grain  and  stock  sold  to  the 
operators  of  the  mine,  he  has  hazarded  nothing  in  the  uncer- 
tain results  of  opening  and  proving  it :  and  besides,  where- 
ver a  shaft  is  sunk,  there  is  also  a  town  erected,  which 
likewise  affords  a  speculation  in  lots,  to  the  original  propri- 
etor of  the  soil. 

The  principal  vein  of  silver  ore  at  Zacatecas,  which  first 
shows  itself  in  the  plain,  ascends  the  nearest  mountain,  and 
is  discovered  about  midway,  where  a  shaft  has  been  sunk 
to  a  great  depth,  but  is  not  now  worked.  The  vein  then 
descends  over  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and,  after  crossing 
the  next  ravine,  suddenly  ascends  to  the  top  of  the  next 
cone-shaped  peak,  and  so  on,  ascending  and  descending, 
until  it  dips  under  the  city,  and  again  rises  to  the  top  of  a 


218 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 


high  peak,  immediately  to  the  north,  overlooking  Zaca- 
tecas. 

The  appearances  of  the  range  of  mountains,  upon  which 
arc  the  veins  of  ore,  are  like  all  others  in  the  interior  of 
Mexico.  They  are  almost  deserted  by  vegetable  growth  of 
any  kind ;  for  the  small  amount  of  soil  on  those  heights, 
generally,  only  produces  a  thorny,  scrubby  growth,  that 
makes  but  a  thin  nppearance  in  places.  The  silver  moun- 
tains of  Zacatecas,  to  my  view,  had  something  of  a  pecu- 
liar appearance,  for  they  seemed  to  have  been  thrown  up 
more  abruptly,  with  a  greater  number  of  cones,  having  nip- 
ples crowning  their  summits.  They  seemed  to  have  con- 
tained more  of  the  native  red  rock  of  the  country  than  any 
other  mountain  that  I  had  beheld.  I  was  informed  that  in 
mountains  where  silver  was  most  prolific  the  rock  chiefly 
abounded  in  porphyry,  green  and  red  sione. 

But  to  return — as  I  approached  the  mountain  a  large  con- 
vent was  exposed  to  my  \\e\v,  which  was  a  present  to  the 
order  of  Grey  Friars  by  the  owner  of  one  of  the  mines.  It 
w^as  surrounded  by  the  village  of  Guadaloupe,  which  had  a 
romantic  aspect,  situated  just  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
commanding  the  pass,  where  I  was  directed  the  road  to 
Zacatecas.  Every  town,  of  any  consequence  in  Mexico, 
has  its  pueblo  of  Guadaloupe,  erected  in  honour  of  the  pa- 
tron saint  of  the  country. 

Between  the  road  and  the  village  I  perceived  a  high  wall 
enclosing  a  large  plot  of  groinid,  which  I  supposed  to  be  a 
fortification ;  but  my  friend  informed  me  it  was  a  granary 
belonging  to  Sefior  Don  Garciar.  Such  granaries  were 
not  common,  but  had  been  invented  and  built  by  him,  to 
prevent  insects  from  injuring  his  grain;  his  speculations  in 
that  article  having  been  extensive ;  in  one  of  which  he  is 
said  to  have  made  above  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  one 
purchase. 

The  plan  he  adopted  to  preserve  grain  for  any  given 
time,  was  to  build  houses  within  the  cnc^losure,  to  cover  the 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


210 

corn,  of  round  and  cone-like  form.  The  houses  were  about 
twenty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  but  built  to  a  point  at 
the  top.  They  resembled  an  old  Virginia  fodder-stack  more 
than  any  thing  else.  When  these  houses  are  tightly  stuc- 
coed and  filled  with  grain,  the  door  is  built  up  and  plastered 
over,  by  which  process  the  light,  moisture  and  atmosphere 
are  excluded,  and  the  grain  for  ever  preserved  harmless 
from  insects. 

After  passing  the  granary,  my  friend  informed  me  that 
we  had  entered  upon  the  battle-ground,  where  Santa  Anna 
defeated  the  Zacatecans  in  1833,  who  were  the  last  troops 
to  hold  out  against  him,  when  he  usurped  the  government 
from  the  constitutional  president,  Bustamente.  The  field 
was  a  dead  level,  and  about  one  mile  wide,  confined  be- 
tween mountains.  Previous  to  the  advance  of  the  conquer- 
or, the  governor  of  Zacatecas  was  desirous  of  obtaining 
some  general  of  experience  to  command  his  forces,  and  in 
time  Gen.  Andrade,  who  had  ever  been  an  adherent  of  Santa 
Anna,  suddenly  became  disaffected  towards  his  former  mas- 
ter, and  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Zacatecans.  The  un- 
suspecting governor,  rejoiced  at  the  fortunate  accession, 
appointed  him.  commander-in-chief  of  all  his  forces. 

It  was  not  long  after  Gen.  Andrade  had  been  acting  under 
his  appointment  before  he  marched  his  army,  consisting  of 
about  five  thousand  men,  from  behind  the  bulwarks  which 
had  been  thrown  up  on  each  side  of  the  mountains  that 
commanded  the  pass  to  the  city,  and  which,  if  defended, 
would  have  resisted  any  enemy  that  might  march  against 
it.  But  the  general,  true  to  his  secret  purpose,  for  there  is 
honour  among  thieves,  made  his  encampment  on  the  plain 
between  Guadaloupe  and  the  granary,  and  his  antagonist 
soon  bivouaced  in  sight  of  him. 

General  Andrade,  in  a  few  days  thereafter,  commanded 
his  horsemen,  who  constituted  one-half  of  his  army,  to  carry 
their  horses  to  a  distance  from  the  camp,  that  they  might 
have  one  night's  good  grazing,  and  also  directed  that  the 


220  TUAVELS   I\   MEXICO. 

artillery  and  inf\intry  should  not  sleep  on  their  arms  that 
nifjht,  as  he  had  no  fears  of  Santa  Anna  attacking  them. 
The  whole  army,  fatigued  with  service,  willingly  obeyed 
the  lenient  orders  of  their  general,  with  the  exception  of 
Col.  Harcourt,  a  German  by  birth  and  education,  who  had 
the  command  of  the  Zacatecan  artillery.  He  alone  deter- 
mined to  be  upon  the  alert,  and,  accordingly,  before  the 
dawn  of  day,  Santa  Anna  had  skirted  the  y)lain  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  by  which  well-timed  movement  he  had 
thrown  himself  to  the  rear  of  Gen.  Andrade,  and  thus 
cut  otF  the  retreat  of  the  Zacatecans  from  their  strong-hold 
in  the  mountain. 

No  sooner  had  Santa  Anna  obtained  this  position,  with- 
out having  alarmed  his  fellow-countrymen  and  enemies, 
than  he  commenced  a  heavy  fire  upon  them,  and  while  all 
were  in  confusion  at  the  surprise,  the  brave  and  watchful 
Col.  Harcourt  rallied  his  men  and  returned  the  volley  of  the 
enemy;  and,  could  he  have  been  sustained  by  the  infantry, 
who  were  w'ithout  horses,  the  triumphant  Santa  Anna  must 
have  been  overthrown;  for  the  colonel  had  driven  him 
back,  with  the  loss  of  three  hundred  killed  and  wounded  on 
the  field.  As  it  was,  however,  he  surrendered,  with  his 
whole  army,  to  the  power  of  superior  numbers. 

The  inglorious  commander  of  the  achieved  victory  hav- 
ing secured  his  ))risoners,  issued  a  command  that  all  fo- 
reigners, belonging  to  the  Zacatecan  army,  should  be  shot 
on  the  spot.  Ec  it  also  recorded,  to  the  glory  and  ho- 
nour of  the  Mexican  oificers,  under  the  barbarous  com- 
mander, that  they  remonstrated  against  the  order,  and  saved 
the  lives  of  many  brave  men.  The  shameful  decree  of 
Santa  Anna  being  reversed,  and  the  prisoners  marched  to 
the  city  of  Mexico,  the  gallant  Harcourt  obtained  his  liber- 
ty, and  in  disgust  retired  to  Texas,  where  he  died  a  natural 
death,  with  glory  and  honour  untarnished. 

Santa  Anna,  flushed  with  pride  at  having  obtained  so 
important  a  victory,  immediately  determined,  contrary  to 


TRAVELS   IV   MEXICO.  OQl 

the  earnest  solicitations  of  many  of  his  advisers,  to  attempt 
the  conquest  of  Texas,  and,  with  a  vanity  far  beyond  his 
powers  of  execution,  declared  that  he  would  not  only  re- 
take Texas,  but,  with  his  army  of  ten  thousand  men,  it  was 
his  intention  to  inarch  to  the  city  of  Washington,  and  be 
the  Napoleon  of  America.  A  gentleman  of  Zacatccas  in- 
formed me  that  he  was  present,  and  heard  the  boasted  vaunt 
of  the  American  Napoleon,  and  so  indelible  had  the  glori- 
ous appellation  been  imprinted  upon  his  mind,  that  he  was 
again  heard  to  make  a  similar  expression  to  Gen.  Houston, 
after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto. 

From  Zacatecas  the  victorious  army  was  marched  to  the 
province  of  Texas,  where  the  annals  of  history  never  before 
recorded  so  complete  an  overthrow  of  a  general  with  well- 
trained  troops.  I  do  not  accuse  Santa  Anna  of  a  want  of 
intelligence,  but  on  the  contrary  believe  him  to  possess  res- 
pectable talents ;  for  no  man  could  at  will  usurp  the  govern- 
ment of  a  nation,  without  some  strength  of  mind.  By  his 
superior  intellect,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  his  country- 
men, he  has  never  failed,  by  the  happening  of  events,  to  ride 
in  the  whirlwind  and  direct  the  storm,  in  the  affairs  of  his 
imbecile  government. 

He  cannot  be  commended  for  his  ambition,  which  has 
impoverished  the  coffers  of  his  country,  and  at  the  dear 
price  of  the  blood  of  thousands  of  his  fellow-countrymen. 
His  passions  are  power  and  avarice,  and  to  satiate  his  ap- 
petites, the  one  is  maddened  wnth  the  hope  of  gain,  while 
the  other  is  driven  to  desperation  by  the  desire  of  suprema- 
cy. Mexico  exhibits  the  remarkable  anomaly  of  a  ruler 
who  holds  the  reins  of  government  ostensibly — though  not 
by  the  will  of  the  people :  yet,  for  all  the  sins  of  which  he 
may  have  been  guilty,  the  world  will  forgive  him,  if  he  will 
make  his  people  honest  and  industrious,  by  doing  which,  he 
will  emulate  the  character  of,  and  be  denominated  by  all  the 
good  of  the  earth,  the  great  Czar,  the  Peter  the  Great  of 
Mexico. 


022  TRAVELS  IN   MEX  ICO. 

My  first  view  of  tiie  city  of  Zacatecas  was  the  most  pe- 
culiar I  ever  had  of  any  otlier  place.  My  attention  was 
first  called  to  the  scene,  in  perspective,  through  the  narrow 
gorge  of  the  mountains.  The  city  contains  about  twenty- 
five  thousand  inhabitants.  The  streets  are  all  well  paved, 
and,  from  their  being  uneven  and  hilly,  have  a  cleanly  ap- 
pearance. As  the  location  of  the  town  is  over  and  sur- 
rounded by  mines  of  silver,  the  wealthy  proprietors  have,  in 
many  instances,  lavished  their  money  u])on  large  and  high- 
ly finished  buildings,  after  the  fashion  of  the  countr}'.  My 
American  companion  and  self  put  up  at  De  la  Calledc  Ta- 
cuba  Meson,  and  what  rendered  me  well  satisfied  with  the 
place  was,  that  it  was  superintended  by  an  Italian  cook, 
who  could  speak  Enghsh. 

It  was  my  intention  to  remain  no  longer  in  Zacatecas 
than  I  could  make  all  my  necessary  arrangements  for  some 
future  point  in  my  long  journey.  My  friend  proving,  to  my 
mind,  to  be  so  very  intelligent  and  well  acquainted  in  Mex- 
ico, I  did  not  hesitate  to  engage  him  as  my  interpreter  and 
my  assistant  in  business,  as  far  as  Caneles,  and  I  was  su- 
perinduced to  close  a  contract  with  him,  for  the  reason  that 
he  stated,  that  he  was  destined  for  that  place.  I  therefore 
determined  that,  as  perhaps  I  should  not  meet  with  another 
so  fortunate  an  op})ortunity  of  employing  an  interpreter,  I 
would  not  let  the  chance  escape  me. 

The  American  promised  promptness  in  securing  all  my 
equipments,  and  a  speedy  departure,  and  confiding  in  liim, 
I  employed  my  time  in  obtaining  information  and  indulging 
in  the  pleasures  of  the  city,  besides  resting  from  travel.  An 
Irish  gentleman  I  became  acquainted  with  in  the  city  of 
Mexico,  and  who  had  resided  in  that  country  for  the  last 
fifteen  years,  advised  me,  when  I  was  about  to  depart  for 
the  upper  departments,  not  to  be  thrown  off  a  cautious 
guard  by  Europeans  or  Americans,  any  sooner  than  I  would 
be  by  the  natives;  for  that,  in  the  general,  they  were  all 
alike,  and  I  would  suffer  by  the  one  as  soon  as  the  other, — 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  223 

yet  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  I  should  have  an  inter- 
preter, and  a  choice  must  be  made,  let  it  prove  good,  bad, 
or  inditrercnt,  and  I  abide  the  consequences. 

There  arc  many  public  buildings  in  Zacatecas,  of  large 
dimensions  and  costly  workmanship.  The  church  of  La 
Parrogia  is  nearly  the  size  of  the  great  Cathedral  of  the 
city  of  Mexico.  The  entire  front  wall  of  the  building  is 
sculptured  with  the  history  of  Christ  and  the  apostles.  On 
the  church  is  a  cupola  built  of  the  red  stone  of  the  country, 
which  presents  much  architectural  beauty;  there  is  also  an- 
other in  an  unfinished  state.  The  edifice  was  originally  de- 
signed for  a  cathedral,  but  as  that  intention  was  vetoed,  it 
was  never  completed,  as  no  house  of  worship  can  have  two 
steeples,  unless  it  is  a  Bishopric. 

The  Convento  de  Nuestro  Senora  del  Patrocinio,  has  its 
situation  upon  a  pinnacle  of  a  mountain,  overlooking  the 
whole  city.  This  convent  is  a  small  religious  edifice,  and 
the  peculiar  residence  of  the  patron  saint  of  the  city.  She 
however  condescends  to  make  an  annual  visit  to  her  fa- 
vourite people,  and  for  the  better  purpose  of  investigating 
the  affairs  of  the  churches,  puts  up  at  each  for  the  space  of 
one  week.  After  having  taken  her  celestial  round,  and  re- 
ceived the  hospitaUty  of  the  city ;  she  then,  in  the  same 
manner  in  which  she  descended,  is  marshalled  back  to  her 
elevated  home,  followed  by  a  large  portion  of  saints  and 
sinners,  who  as  they  move  forward  under  triumphal  arches 
of  evergreens,  have  the  blood  red  banner  of  the  cross  waved 
over  them,  amid  the  playing  of  music  and  the  firing  of  rock- 
ets and  cannon.  Having  taken  adieu  of  her  rejoicing  flock, 
she  remotely,  though  in  sight,  quicily  resides  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  as  the  guardian  angel  of  the  public  weal, 
there  to  remain  until  the  following  year,  when  the  same  an- 
niversary festivity  is  to  be  celebrated. 

There  was  no  place  of  any  consequence  through  which  I 
passed,  but  what  had  its  convent  dedicated  to  the  patron 
saint  of  the  inhabitants.     The  location  of  the  buildinc:  is  on 


OOl  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

the  hishest  elevation  overlookinsr  the  town,  and  the  resident 
saints  make  their  annual  visits  to  their  chosen  people  in  the 
manner  above  described. 

There  was  one  thing,  however,  that  very  much  perplexed 
me,  which  was,  to  understand  who  were  these  divine  per- 
sonages, for  every  one  had  her  separate  name,  and  peculiar- 
ly partial  superintendence  of  the  souls  of  the  inhabitants  of 
each  town,  while,  at  the  same  time,  they  were  undivided 
and  indivisible,  of  the  same  person  of  the  Holy  Virgin 
Mary,  Mother  of  Christ.  I  must  confess  that  I  am  wanting 
in  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  divinity  to  understand  what 
seems  to  me  to  be  an  incongruity ;  and  I  have  only  men- 
tioned the  fact  for  thp  benefit  of  those  who  might  better 
comprehend  the  subject  than  myself,  or  feel  curious  about 
an  intricate  subject  of  this  nature. 

There  arc  many  other  churches  in  Zacatecas,  yet  I  did 
not  think  it  important  to  ascertain  their  number.  There  are 
several  Jesuit  buildings  used  as  garrisons  for  soldiers.  One 
of  these,  on  the  south  side  of  the  city,  the  bricks  of  which 
were  made  of  the  earth  of  a  grave-yard ;  and  where  the 
walls  had  not  been  plastered,  or  had  fallen  down,  the  bones 
and  asiies  of  the  dead  were  all  mixed  up  in  the  common 
mortar  of  the  bricks.  To  satisfy  myself  whether  tliis  were 
so,  I  visited  the  house,  and  indeed  there  were,  besides  hu- 
man bones,  what  apparently  w^ere  fragments  of  clothing  of 
all  ages,  visible  on  the  walls,  and,  in  the  exhibition,  I  never 
was  so  forcibly  reminded  of  the  Lalin  maxim  as  then,  ".SVc 
transit  gloria  mundi."" 

The  government  palace  fronts  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Plaza,  and  is  the  largest  of  all  the  dwelling  houses.  It  was 
originally  built  and  owned  by  a  Spanish  nobleman,  who, 
after  the  revolution,  sold  it  to  the  city  for  the  residence  of 
the  governor.  I  was  informed  that  when  the  foundation  of 
the  church  was  laid,  designed  for  a  cathedral,  it  was 
to  have  fronted  the  plaza,  but  agreeable  to  that  intention, 
the  church  would  have  obstructed  the  view  of  that  place 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO  225 

from  the  palace  of  the  nobleman,  and  to  prevent  its  location 
there,  the  marquis  made  a  donation  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  towards  defraying  the  expenses  of  erecting  the  build- 
ing, provided  that  the  church  should  be  so  altered,  as  not  to 
obstruct  the  view  from  the  palace  of  the  plaza. 

During  my  stay  at  Zacatecas,  it  became  necessary  to 
make  excavations  in  the  plaza,  for  the  laying  of  j*ipe  to  the 
water  fountain,  which  caused  the  original  foundations  of  the 
church  to  be  exposed,  and  the  citizens  flocked  to  behold  it. 
But  the  Mexicans  must  have  remen^bered  that  the  days  of 
the  marquis  had  passed  away,  and  that,  although  the  mines 
of  the  mountains  are  yielding  millions,  the  people  are  poor, 
for  there  are  no  such  men  as  the  Spaniards  amongst  them. 
A  Mexican  gentleman  informed  me  that  the  general  condi- 
tion of  the  citizens  had  never  i-ecovered  from  the  plunder- 
ing of  the  city  in  1833,  by  Santa  Anna,  at  which  time  he 
likewise  confiscated  the  mining  estate  of  one  of  her  most 
wealthy  inhabitants.  But  a  day  of  retribution  may  come, 
and  the  author  of  so  much  calamity  to  his  fellow-country- 
men may  yet  be  overwhelmed.*  I  was  informed  that  this 
celebrated  nobleman,  (whose  name  I  regret  to  have  lost,) 
when  he  had  his  child  christened,  had  bars  of  silver  laid 
from  his  palace  to  the  altar  of  the  church  of  the  convent  of 
San  Francisco,  for  the  priest  to  walk  upon. 

At  the  mint  of  Zacatecas  I  met  with  Mr.  John  Scott,  an 
Englishman,  who,  in  his  own  country,  had  followed  civil 
engineering,  and  had  been  sent  out  by  an  English  mining 
company  to  that  city,  to  investigate  and  improve  the  modes 
of  mining,  and  the  machinery  for  the  coining  of  money. 
Mr.  Scott  and  myself  came  in  contact  at  Jalapa,  and  tra- 
velled from  there  to  the  city  of  Mexico;  during  his  stay 
there,  we  messed  at  the  same  table.     He  was  not  only  a 


*  Santa  Anna,  since  the  above  was  writli-n,  has  been  deposed,  but  time  will 
have  to  dsvelope  his  ultimate  fate.     It  is  the  impression  of  myself  that  he  will 
yet  be  again  the  Dictator  of  Mexico. , 
15 


226 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


polished  gentleman,  but  had  also  a  spirit  of  accommodation, 
and  seemed  to  take  a  pleasure  in  showing  and  explaining  to 
me  the  utility  of  the  machinery  in  the  mint,  and  giving  all 
other  information  occurring  to  his  mind  at  the  time,  or  an- 
swering my  inquiries.  The  mint  at  Zacatecas  is  said  to 
coin  from  five  to  eight  millions  of  specie  per  annum. 

The  post-office  and  the  custom-house  are  substantial  build- 
ings, well  adapted  for  their  purposes.  There  is  but  one  col- 
lege here,  called  the  Zacatecas  Literary  Institute.  It  is  not 
remarkable  for  its  elegance  or  workmanship,  yet  it  is  suffi- 
ciently commodious  to  accommodate  one  hundred  students. 

On  the  24th  instant,  I  found  myself  mounted  on  a  real 
Mexican  small  pacing-horse,  completely  equipped  with  all 
the  paraphernalia  of  the  style  of  the  country,  consisting  of 
a  Spanish  saddle  and  bridle,  the  indispensable  long  rapier, 
holsters  with  pistols,  and  lasso.  I  am  indebted  to  the  obli- 
ging Englishman,  Mr.  Scott,  for  the  kindness  he  extended  to- 
wards me,  in  showing  me  through  the  mines  of  Saint  Cle- 
mente  and  Saint  Nicholas.  The  attention  on  his  part  was 
very  acceptable,  for  these  were  the  most  productive  of  any 
others  in  complete  operation  at  Zacatecas.  The  pleasure  I 
enjoyed  in  visiting  the  fountain-heads  of  the  wealth  of  the 
world,  the  glorious  prospect  before  me,  was  divided  in  the 
anticipation  of  the  first  experiment  I  was  about  to  make 
upon  a  Spanish  saddle  and  a  Mexican  horse;  and  in  truth, 
although  to  witness  the  disemboweling  of  tons  of  the  pre- 
cious metals,  so  dear  to  the  pursuits  and  wants  of  mankind, 
was  an  opportunity  I  would  have  regretted  not  to  have  em- 
braced, yet  I  must  confess  the  prospect  of  the  ride  predom- 
inated ;  for  at  the  one  I  only  had  to  gape  and  wonder  at  the 
vast  amount  of  silver  belonging  to  others,  wdiile  in  the  other 
I  was  actually  to  receive  the  benefit  of  a  short  jaunt  upon 
the  most  delightful  of  all  the  going  animals  ever  subjected 
to  the  dominion  of  human  beings  ;  and  I  was  not  disajipoint- 
cd  when  my  friend  invited  me  to  depart,  and  we  had  en- 
tered the  street,  to  mount  what  an  Englishman  calls  his 


TRAVELS    I  ?J    MEXICO. 


227 

"  cattle,"  the  gay,  fiery,  low-quartered,  middling  size  Mexi- 
can horse,  for  they  are  all  such  in  contrast  with  the  Anaeri- 
can  animal.  My  little  steed  pricked  forward  his  cars,  pawed 
the  pavement,  and  shot  at  me  his  fiery  eyes,  as  if  he  had 
mistaken  me  for  a  Texian ;  but  I  was  soon  in  the  saddle,  and 
so  far  from  finding  him  ill-natured,  his  whole  action  seemed 
to  demonstrate  the  delight  he  took  in  holding  me  between 
heaven  and  earth,  and,  apparently  discovering  me  to  be  a 
stranger,  conformed  to  my  ways  upon  the  slightest  notice. 
Upon  my  first  acquaintance,  and  all  my  after  use  of  the 
Mexican  poney,  I  found  him  to  possess  remarkable  instinc- 
tive faculties.  A  stranger  to  him  is  at  first  apt  to  mistake 
his  native  playfulness  and  sprightliness  for  the  wild  fright 
and  ill-nature  belonging  to  the  English  and  American  horses. 

The  Mexican  horse  is  a  descendant  of  the  barbed  ani- 
mals brought  from  Spain.  He  is  more  hardy  than  any 
other  horse  in  my  knowledge ;  is  obliged  from  his  youth  to 
maturity,  to  make  his  own  living,  and  never  knows  what  it 
is  to  be  fed  on  the  luxury  of  grain,  until  his  master  has 
thrown  the  lasso  over  his  neck,  and  mounts  his  back,  armed 
with  a  pair  of  Spanish  spurs,  the  rowels  of  which  are  from 
three  to  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  first  impressions  he 
receives  from  under  the  tuition  of  his  master,  never  fail  to 
raise  his  feet  above  all  impediment  in  the  track  before  him, 
in  an  easy  and  nimble  way,  for  he  never  stumbles.  Our 
ride  that  evening  was  by  no  means  over  the  plain,  for  no 
sooner  than  we  had  passed  the  precincts  of  the  city,  our  di- 
rection lay  immediately  over  a  rugged  and  deep  ravine  of 
hard  rock  bottom,  having  a  stream  running  down  it,  created 
by  the  water  drawn  out  of  the  mines. 

After  having  at  a  rapid  rate  travelled  up  a  gorge  for 
about  one  mile,  we  began  to  ascend  the  mountain,  and  then 
arrived  at  the  Hacienda  de  Beneficio  Mineral  Santo  Cle- 
mente.  By  the  attachment  of  Mr.  Scott  to  the  Mint,  we 
were  accepted  without  delay  at  the  gate,  and  having  been 
first  conducted  to  the  office  of  the  administrador,  or  gover- 


228  TRAVELS  IN   MEXICO. 

nor,  I  was  introduced  to  the  officers  of  the  mine,  who  were 
all  Englishmen,  one  of  whom  conducted  us  to  the  shaft, 
which  has  two  mouths  one  hundred  yards  deep.  One  of 
these  was  continually  used,  night  and  day,  for  drawing  up 
ores  in  raw  hide  bags,  holding  about  five  hundred  pounds 
each  ;  while  the  other  was  worked  in  drawing  up  the  water 
from  the  bottom  of  the  mine.  It  astonished  me  to  see  the 
amount  of  water  drawn  up  in  this  manner. 

I  was  shown,  on  my  way  to  Santa  Clementc,  a  beauti- 
ful and  highly  cultivated  garden,  that  received  irrigation 
from  the  streams  flowing  from  the  mines,  and  was  informed 
that  so  considerable  was  the  quantity  of  water  afforded  by 
the  mines  of  Friznillio,  that  it  had  changed  the  aspect  of  the 
face  of  the  country,  from  thirst  and  barrenness,  to  that  of 
blooming  gardens,  and  extensive,  highly-cultivated  fields,  by 
only  receiving  the  quantity  drawn  from  the  shafts  of  the 
mines.  Water  is  the  only  thing  the  lands  of  Mexico  need, 
and  whenever  they  receive  it,  the  soil  is  covered  with  abun- 
dant harvests  of  grain,  and  all  verdancy  covers  most  luxu- 
riantly the  bosom  of  the  earth. 

Bags,  made  of  new  skins,  are  the  most  desirable  for  draw- 
ing up  ore  and  water,  for  the  reason  that  their  own  weight 
is  comparatively  nothing  to  what  that  of  wooden  ones  would 
be,  to  answer  a  good  purpose.  Ropes,  instead  of  chains, 
are  use,  also  of  raw  hide,  it  being  stronger  than  hemp  or 
other  fabric ;  they  wind  round  a  cylinder  about  twenty  feet 
in  diameter,  propelled  by  the  power  of  mules,  as  all  the  ma- 
chinery of  the  mines  and  mint  at  Zacatecas  is  obliged  to  be, 
in  consequence  of  the  fact  that  the  country  about  there, 
both  mountain  and  plain,  is  so  entirely  divested  of  wood 
that,  if  all  the  gold  and  silver  produced  was  expended,  it 
could  not  purchase  fuel  sufHcient  to  propel  steam  power ; 
the  only  fuel  used  in  that  section  of  country  being  charcoal, 
brought  from  considerable  distances. 

I  much  admired  the  employment  of  ropes  manufactured 
of  hide  in  that  drv  climate,  and  I  observed  that  all  manner 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  229 

of  vehicles — the  heavy  road-wagons,  or  the  rich  man's 
coacii — are  draughted  by  them,  in  the  place  of  traces  made 
of  heavy  leather,  or  of  iron  chains  ;  besides,  they  have  the 
reputation  of  being  more  durable  and  stronger.  The  tra- 
veller is  never  annoyed  by  the  clank  and  rattling  of  so 
much  metal  as  belongs  to  the  English  and  American  car- 
riages. 

From  the  shafts  we  were  conducted  into  the  ore-yard,  an 
area  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  feet  square.  This 
large  yard  was  covered  with  piles  of  silver  ore,  each  con- 
taining about  three  bushels,  and  I  suppose  there  were  at 
that  time  more  than  one  hundred  of  those  heaps.  The  piles 
were  made  of  fragments  of  ore,  as  broken  by  a  sledge- 
hammer off  the  larger  pieces,  when  drawn  from  the  shafts. 
At  each  of  these  heaps  a  Mexican  labourer  was  seated  on 
the  ground,  engaged  in  severing  the  large  lumps  into  small- 
er ones,  and  I  w'as  really  entertained  by  beholding  the  dex- 
terity and  facility  with  which  the  labourer  would  perform 
his  task,  securing  by  sleight  a  large  piece  of  ore  between  his 
feet,  and,  with  both  hands  hold  of  the  helve  of  his  hammer, 
lay  upon  it,  until  the  rock  was  shivered  into  fragments. 
These  men,  as  they  progressed  with  their  work,  were  also 
employed  in  separating  the  rich  from  the  poor  ores,  which, 
from  their  long  practice,  they  were  enabled,  most  rapidly 
to  do.  Besides  the  labourers,  there  were  men  of  superior 
talent,  called  captains,  whose  duty  it  was  to  re-examine  the 
minerals,  and,  with  more  scrutiny,  to  collect  the  greater 
from  the  lesser  in  value. 

The  gentleman  who  was  conducting  Mr.  Scott  and  my- 
self over  the  hacienda,  called  for  the  chief  captain  to  select 
a  variety  of  specimens  from  the  piles,  so  that  I  might  the 
better  understand  the  nature  and  kind  of  the  difierent  ores 
The  captain  showed  me  a  specimen  of  the  iron  pyrites, 
which  one  unacquainted  with  the  ore,  would  imagine  to 
be  the  most  valuable  of  any  of  the  lumps  contained  in  the 
piles ;  for,  as  the  beholder  perceives  the  large  veins  of  gray 


230 


TRAVELS    IiV    MEXICO. 


bright  metal  running  through  the  rock,  he  is  apt  to  nnistake 
the  sulphate  of  iron  for  the  genuine  silver.  But,  agreeable 
to  the  old  adage,  that  "  all  that  shines  is  not  silver,"  so  it  is 
with  the  iron  pyrites — for  notwithstanding  the  specimen 
dazzles  the  eye  by  its  superior  glittering  appearance,  yet  it 
contains  less  of  the  precious  metal  than  any  other  speci- 
mens to  be  found.  The  sulphate  of  iron  pyrites  is  often 
mistaken  by  the  ignorant  for  gold.  There  were  also  some 
iron  pyrites  containing  sulphurate  of  silver.  Specimens  of 
this  kind  are  very  brilliant  and  rich  in  appearance,  and  in- 
deed contain  more  silver  than  the  simple  iron  pyrites. 

The  captain  after  a  long  search  found  a  specimen  of  na- 
tive silver,  united  with  iron  pyrites  and  sulphate  of  silver. 
This  specimen  was  not  only  rich,  but  lovely  to  behold — for 
the  native  silver  seemed  to  have  blossomed  in  the  shape  of 
a  rose,  and  ornamented  itself  with  slight  tendrils  winding 
and  curling  most  brightly  and  purely  over  the  rich  silvery 
resemblance  of  the  flower ;  it  looked  to  me  more  like  the 
delicate  art  of  the  silversmith,  than  the  work  of  nature. 
Another  specimen  of  iron  pyrites  contained  silver  in  a  state 
of  sulphurate.  It  had  a  beautiful  aspect,  looking  as  if  it 
were  a  bright  lump  of  silver  unmixed,  and  was  more  valu- 
able still  than  the  simple  iron  pyrites,  or  those  which  con- 
tained sulphate  of  silver. 

The  captain  then  exhibited  the  native  silver,  attached  not 
to  reir  stone,  but  to  the  rock  peculiar  to  that  country,  for  all 
of  this  valuable  metal  was  pure,  unalloyed  silver.  It  exist- 
ed in  small  wiry  particles  protruding  out  of  the  curling 
veins,  or  otherwise  appeared  to  have  blossomed  out  at  once 
in  bunches.  The  silver  of  one  of  these  specimens  had 
something  of  a  yellowish  tinge,  which  caused  me  to  inquire 
if  the  silver  of  that  mine  contained  gold,  when  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  proportion  was  so  small  that  it  was  consid- 
ered by  the  company  not  to  be  worth  the  separation.  These 
specimens  were  contained  in  what  the  officer  called  slate- 
rock  ;  but  a  gentleman,  more  scientific,  told  me  that  the 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  2«. 

proper  appellation  of  it  was  gTeen  stone,  the  abundance  of 
which  covered  the  mountain  in  many  places. 

To  conclude  my  description  of  the  ores  which  I  saw  at 
the  Hacienda  Beneficio  Mineral  Santa  Clement,  I  must  say, 
that  under  the  burning  Mexican  sun  I  had  never  before 
witnessed  a  more  lively  and  desirable  scene,  or  one  more 
capable  of  producing  a  variety  of  pleasing  reflections.  To 
look  down  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  from  whence  issued 
deep,  sonorous  explosions  of  powder,  followed  by  the  dis- 
tant hoarse,  crashing,  crushing  sounds  of  the  falling  rocks, 
and  then  raise  my  head,  and  cast  my  eyes  around  me,  and 
behold  the  ai)parent  wasteful  profusion  of  nature's  wealth, 
made  me  ask  myself — Why  are  there  any  suffering  poor  in 
the  world  ?  and  my  soul  responded — Treasure  up  not  the 
corruptible  things  of  this  earth,  for  the  bliss  of  the  happy 
cannot  be  purchased  by  silver  and  gold;  but  there  is  an  all- 
perfect  store,  which,  if  secured  in  the  high  coffers  of  hea- 
ven, moth  can  never  corrupt,  nor  thieves  break  through  and 
steal;  and  all  the  riches  I  then  beheld  would,  but  for  a 
few  years  only,  serve  to  stimulate  the  appetites  of  the  mi- 
ner, the  overreaching,  the  vicious  and  the  robber ;  and  it  is 
therefore,  not  only  vanity,  but  ruinous  to  the  true  interests 
of  the  virtuous,  to  envy  the  possession  of  that  which  was 
only  transitory,  and  can  never  satisfy;  but  it  was  calculated 
to  expand  the  hopes  of  never-satiated  desires,  which  were 
in  their  very  nature  perishable. 

From  the  high  eminence  of  Santa  Clemente,  I  could  look 
down  upon  the  mountain-side,  and  the  narrow  valley  be- 
neath, without  seeing  a  foot  of  soil  in  cultivation,  excepting 
the  green  garden  which  I  have  mentioned,  as  watered  by  a 
silvery  tide,  flowing  from  a  natural  fountain  of  precious 
metal.  And  at  thus  beholding  the  vast  expanse  of  the  waste 
of  the  face  of  the  earth,  I  could  but  reflect  how  much  more 
valuable  to  animal  creation  would  have  been  the  amount  of 
industry,  expended  in  the  mines,  if  it  could  have  been  ap- 
plied to  the  neglected  and  fertile  soil  of  the  country. 


232 


TRAVELS    IN    :M  E  X  I  C  O  . 


From  the  ore-yard  we  were  conducted  to  a  new  macliine 
for  pulverizing  the  mineral.  This  fixture  was  propelled  by 
water-powder,  and  w-as  supplied  by  a  stream  from  the  buck- 
ets that  w-ere  hoisted  up  from  the  shaft.  It  looked  to  be 
precisely  like  all  the  powder-mills  I  have  seen  in  the  Union. 
There  was,  at  a  convenient  distance,  a  pile  of  poor  ore, 
which,  I  was  informed,  contained  about  one  thousand  bush- 
els, and  the  machine  w'as  continually  kept  in  motion,  crush- 
ing from  that  bank.  As  the  dust  passed  from  under  the 
crushers,  it  found  its  way  to  a  long  trough,  through  which 
flowed  a  constant  stream  of  water,  by  which  process  the 
particles  of  metal  sink  to  the  bottom,  and  there  remain, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  water  flowed  on,  dusting  its  bed 
with  silver  as  it  descended  the  mountain. 

After  we  had  been  satisfied  with  all  we  examined,  and 
were  about  to  depart  from  the  mine,  I  perceiv^ed  a  superin- 
tendent in  a  room  near  the  large  gate  at  the  entry,  running 
his  hands  through  the  hair  of  the  heads,  while  his  fingers 
passed  in  and  around  the  ears  of  the  workmen  who  came 
to  him  for  examination.  At  the  first  sight  I  thought  I  was 
about  to  be  ushered  into  the  presence  of  some  learned  doc- 
tor of  phrenology,  but  I  was  soon  undeceived  by  observ- 
ing that  no  sooner  had  one  fellow's  head  been  examined 
than  he  doffed  his  serai)i,  showing  the  buff',  and  suffered 
himself  to  be  searched  all  over,  even  to  the  bottom  of  his 
sandals,  (for  shoes  are  not  allowed  to  be  worn  in  the  mines,) 
and  not  unfrequcntly  bumps  of  sccrctiveness  were  found, 
which  were  always  extracted,  and  never  failed  to  be  the 
richest  native  silver. 

The  workmen,  having  undergone  the  scrutiny  of  the  offi- 
cer in  the  room  as  above  described,  was  then  dismissed* 
and,  as  he  arrived  at  the  gate,  he  there  found  another  offi- 
cer, standing  on  a  mat,  who  also  gave  him  a  minute  search, 
which,  when  finished,  the  man  was  suflfered  to  make  his  ex- 
it from  within  the  walls  of  the  mine.  The  officers  who  per- 
formed the  laik,  when  it  was  over,  approached  the  English 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  233 

gentleman,  who  had  attended  us,  and  handed  him  the  spoils 
taken  in  the  search,  and  each  of  them  had  a  handful  of  sil- 
ver. I  inquired  how  thefts  in  the  mines  were  punished,  and 
was  informed  that  this  treatment  was  not  practised,  for,  that 
if  it  was,  the  company  could  not  obtain  hands  to  perform 
the  labour,  as  the  Mexicans  do  not  consider  it  robbery  to 
take  ore.  It  is  therefore  the  look-out  of  the  officers  to  de- 
tect secretions  of  silver  or  gold,  this  bemg  precisely  the 
same  principle  adopted  by  the  blackleg,  that,  as  it  is  his 
business  to  cheat,  it  is  that  of  the  individual  who  plays  with 
him  to  take  care  that  he  is  not  defrauded. 

From  Zacatecas  I  had  an  opportunity  of  writing,  by  a 
private  conveyance,  to  my  friends  in  Virginia,  as  Mr.  Cle- 
ment, an  Englishman,  who  had  been  governor  of  a  mining- 
company  was  going  to  give  up  his  employment  and  take  up 
his  residence  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  C.  had  been  pros- 
perous, and  was  unwilling  to  educate  his  family  in  Mexico. 
Wherever  he  may  reside  he  will  make  a  most  worthy  citi- 
zen. 


234 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Zacatreas.  Cai'f^o  niiiiiiaU  and  cavtera.  Mutli  disappointment.  Tlie  hotel.  Meson  de  la 
Callede  Taciiba.  Confined  atniospheie.  Fiie-places  and  stoves.  Ice-creams.  |lce-makei's. 
Objections  to  the  meson.  Poor  fare.  Mules.  Fleas.  Mexicans  do  not  kill  fleas.  New 
home.  No.  4.^.  English  and  American  citizens.  John  Bull.  Minor  nobles.  Merit.  Love 
of  country.  Americans  Mexicanised.  I.ion  and  the  unicorn.  Society  of  Zac.itecas.  Party 
of  Americans.  Indian  n,e\vs.  Bold  resolve.  Narrow  streets,  15 uried  money.  Koniance 
of  buried  silver.  Catholic  country.  Tolling  of  bells.  My  servant.  Region  of  day.  Mex- 
ican mesons.  Mexicans  do  not  dine  altogether.  Spanish  gentleman.  Conversation. 
Mexican  lands.  Unmasked  myself,  U.  S.  and  Mexico,  California.  Oppression  of  Ame- 
ricans. Justice  of  my  conclusions.  From  the  position  of  Zaealecas.  Mexico  a  country  of 
great  extent.  Solicitude  of  Gen.  Thompson.  Pleased  with  the  face  of  the  country.  Allc- 
made  of  Zacatecas.  Monument  so  Signor  Don  Francisco  Gareeraer.  Dr.  Jenkins.  Pri- 
soners. Public  improvements  in  Mexico.  Punishment  of  crime.  Penitentiary  system. 
Possession  of  the  host.  Prostration  of  the  jieople.  A  friar  and  his  sheep.  Burial  of  the 
dead.  Nephew  of  Col.  Wilcox.  System  of  the  Mexican  government.  Iron  of  Zacate- 
cas. Kevenue  of  the  country.  Ward  the  dictator.  Want  of  fuel.  U.  S.  and  Mexican 
manufactures.     Competition. 

On  the  26th  inst.,  it  being  the  sixth  day  after  my  arrival  at 
Zacatecas,  my  interpreter  informed  mc  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  make  all  the  arrangements  for  my  journey 
that  I  required  of  him  under  ten  days  time.  He  said  that 
there  were  no  cargo-animals  for  sale  in  the  city,  and  I  would 
be  obliged  to  hire  my  transportation  from  thence  to  Can- 
eles,  and  it  would  require  one  more  week  to  finish  the  tra- 
velling cartera,  which  he  had  been  making  for  me,  and  also 
that  he  found  much  difhcully  in  obtaining  such  servants  as 
he  could  confide  in. 

I  was  much  disappointed  with  the  above  intelligence,  for 
it  was  my  ardent  desire  to  proceed  on  my  long  journey  as 
hastily  as  possible,  and  it  was  a  very  uncomfortable  reflec- 
tion for  me  to  have  to  hire  my  animals  to  Caneles,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  one  thousand  miles.  This  would  appear,  to 
any  person,  to  be  as  costly,  if  not  more  so,  than  to  purchase 
the  animals  in  the  first  instance  ;  but,  as  the  American  had 
been  a  long  resident  in  Zacatecas,  and  moreover  had  won 
my  confidence  by  his  gentlemanly  deportment,  I  did  not 
hesitate  to  believe  him. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ggg 

The  Meson  de  la  Calle  do  Tacuba  had  been  a  source  of 
much  annoyance  to  me ;  it  was  a  one-storied  building,  hav- 
ing a  court  of  a  hundred  feet  square  :  the  rooms  uere  with- 
out any  kind  of  windows;  the  simple  ground-floors  were 
cold;  and  when  the  doors  were  for  any  length  of  time 
closed,  the  atmosphere  within  had  a  confined  and  earthy 
smell,  which  always  produced  in  me  a  suffocating  sensa- 
tion. 

I  never  once  beheld  the  comforts  of  a  fire-place  or  a  stove 
in  all  Mexico,  and  in  Zacatecas,  though  it  was  neither  hot 
nor  cold,  it  was  unpleasant  to  a  northerner  not  to  have  a 
fire  sometimes,  to  break  the  perpetual  chill,  and  produce  a 
glow  on  the  surface.  I  had  not  seen  a  fire  since  I  left  the 
steamer  James  Madison  at  Ncw^  Orleans. 

As  I  have  again  alluded  to  the  climate  of  Zacatecas,  I 
will  relate  the  fact  of  my  hearing  a  huckster  calling  ice- 
cream for  sale  in  the  streets.  At  a  loss  to  imagine  how  ice 
could  be  obtained  there,  as  the  place  was  too  far  from  Ori- 
zava  to  have  it  transported  thence,  I  inquired,  and  was  in- 
formed that  during  the  month  of  January,  in  the  cold,  deep 
glens  of  the  mountains,  where  the  rays  of  sun  least  pene- 
trated, the  ice-makers,  for  they  are  so  called,  place  large 
earthen  vessels,  of  about  the  size  and  shape  of  an  English 
tea-board,  with  a  shallow  amount  of  water  in  them,  and,  as 
a  sheet  of  ice  forms  upon  the  surface,  it  is  carefully  skim- 
med off,  and  deposited  in  bulks  for  preservation.  And  thus 
a  supply  of  ice  was  furnished  for  a  short  period  in  the  year 
to  afford  a  luxury  for  the  inhabitants  of  that  city. 

My  objections  to  the  Meson  de  la  Callc  de  Tacuba  were 
also  increased  by  the  quantity  of  travelling  past  that  place, 
and  the  rattling  and  tramping  of  the  hoofs  of  the  mules  on 
the  pavement,  which  was  an  annoyance  intolerable  to  me. 
It  must  appear  evident  that,  to  an  individual  who  had  been 
used  to  better  accommodations,  it  must  have  been  a  hard- 
ship to  be  obliged  to  put  up  with  such  poor  fare,  besides 
the  inconveniences  and  want  of  comforts. 


236 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


But  such  are  the  customs  of  the  country,  and  individuals 
who  have  seen  better  days  are  bound  to  suffer;  and  incred- 
ible as  it  may  seem  to  some,  without  in  the  least  detracting 
from  the  Mexican  meson  entertainment — for  nothing  has 
been  said  of  the  eternal  warfare  the  much  to  be  pitied  and 
fatigued  traveller  has  to  wage  against  the  fleas  ;  the  houses 
are  filled  with  these  vermin,  who  do  not  hesitate,  upon  your 
entering  into  their  apartments,  to  form  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  you,  skin  deep;  and  indeed  I  have  had  them  so 
remarkably  social  and  fond  of  me,  that  they  were  hopping 
and  skipping  about  upon  my  journal,  while  I  have  been  ta- 
king my  notes.  The  common  Mexicans  do  not  on  any  oc- 
casion destroy  these  insects,  for  they  say,  as  Uncle  Toby 
did  of  the  1]}%  that  the  world  is  big  enough  for  them  and  the 
fleas  too. 

]My  interpreter,  to  reconcile  me  to  my  long  delay  at  Za- 
catccas,  rented  rooms  at  a  reasonable  rate,  each  of  which 
had  a  window,  as  well  as  a  door  to  them,  and  having  also  a 
location  upon  the  street  and  exposed  to  the  sun.  This  I 
turned  to  an  advantage,  for  whenever  I  found  the  shade  too 
cool  I  had  an  easy  refuge  to  the  sunshine.  Having  become 
settled  in  our  new  home,  No.  43  Calle  de  Aroiba — that  is, 
the  upper  street — I  determined  to  employ  myself  by  walking 
the  streets.  As  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  enjoy  the  socie- 
ty of  the  Spaniards  or  Mexicans,  with  any  degree  of  plea- 
sure, both  for  the  want  of  acquaintance  and  my  deficiency 
in  their  language,  for  the  Spanish  cannot  be  learned  in  a 
day,  I  satisfied  myself  by  the  delight  I  had  in  looking  at  the 
ladies  as  I  passed  along,  and  in  turn  being  stared  at  as  a 
stranger. 

However,  I  did  not  find  myself  altogether  without  socie- 
tv,  for  there  were  many  English  here,  and  some  Americans, 
to  whom  I  was  soon  introduced.  I  always  perceived  that, 
wherever  I  met  with  foreigners,  some  peculiarities  attached 
to  them,  and  more  especially  as  it  regards  the  English  and 
the  Americans. 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  007 

In  the  first  place,  John  Bull  invariably  denominated  him- 
self p'imo,  and  never  failed  to  swagger  and  play  tiie  aristo- 
crat more  than  others,  and  if  lie  was  only  a  clerk  at  a  ha- 
cienda beneficio,  his  deportment  was  more  consequential 
and  ostentatious  among  the  republicans  of  Mexico,  than 
even  that  of  the  Minister  Plenipotentiary  was  at  the  capi- 
tal. His  pride  always  seems  to  consist  in  rendering  himself 
as  much  as  possible  foreign  to  the  people  he  resides  among; 
and  to  one  acquainted  with  English  manners  and  customs, 
it  was  somewhat  diverting  to  behold  those  minor  nobles, 
with  Spanish  mustache  and  antiquated  European  dress, 
something  French,  and  part  English,  stiffly  holding  them- 
selves up  as  models  of  elegance  and  debonair  of  manners; 
it  never  fails  to  remind  me  of  the  pithy  saying  of  "  like 
master,  like  man,"  examples  of  which  are  often  seen  among 
the  slaves  of  the  south,  in  the  United  States.  Their  con- 
versation is  always  interesting,  by  being  flavoured  with  de- 
clarations of  their  relationship  with  my  Lord  Dowdy,  or 
some  Earl,  or  Baron — while  their  brothers  or  cousins  are 
always  better  to  do  in  the  world  than  themselves,  either  be- 
ing officers  in  the  British  army  or  navy. 

The  English  are  the  most  powerful  people  on  earth,  and 
I  am  glad  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  and  par- 
ticularly those  of  the  Old  Dominion,  are  descendants  from 
them;  but  I  am  also  rejoiced  that  the  minds  of  my  country- 
men are  elevated  above  that  sycophancy  which  knows  no 
merit,  saving  a  name  derived  from  those  w-ho  never  knew, 
or  would  deign  to  look  upon  them.  I  admire  the  love  of 
country  that  dwells  in  the  bosoms  of  Englishmen,  and  would 
to  God  that  the  hearts  of  all  Americans  were  as  true  to  the 
sacred  principles  of  their  constitutional  liberty,  as  the  Eng- 
lish are  to  the  Queen  of  Britain's  isle.  I  must  also  add  that 
in  some  instances  I  met  with  Americans  who  had  become 
Mexicanised,  who  appeared  to  value  more  the  lion  and  the 
unicorn,  than  the  stars  and  stripes ;  and  my  interpreter  be- 
ing one  of  these,  I  had  to  remind  him  of  his  good  whig  pa- 


238  TRAVELS     IN     MEXICO. 

rentage.  It  was  nevertheless  a  comfort  to  me  to  meet  with 
Americans  or  Enghshmen,  who  could  speak  my  mother 
tongue,  for  no  one  can  imagine  the  unpleasantness,  without 
experiencing  the  condition  of  having  to  travel  in  a  foreign 
country,  the  language  of  whose  people  he  cannot  under- 
stand ;  for  he  then  recounts  his  countrymen  and  friends, 
with  whom  he  once  so  familiarly  conversed,  in  the  same 
manner  as  a  person  labouring  under  a  burning  fever  is  re- 
minded of  the  cooling  fountains  from  whence  he  has  satis- 
fied his  thirst. 

How'ever  the  society  at  Zacatecas  was  good,  and  very 
agreeable.  Among  its  number  were  two  English  physi- 
cians, wlio  were  very  intelligent  and  polite  gentlemen,  but 
their  professional  services  were  said  to  be  little  wanted  in 
that  city,  saving  for  casualties,  as  it  was  very  healthy,  being 
represented  to  be  more  so  than  perhaps  any  other  city  or 
country.  It  happened  that,  upon  the  day  of  my  removal  to 
No.  43,  a  party  of  three  Americans  arrived  at  Zacatecas, 
from  the  northern  provinces,  and  confirmed  the  previous 
news,  that  the  Camanches  were  making  incursions  upon  the 
upper  departments,  killing  and  plundering  the  inhabitants  to 
a  considerable  extent. 

The  Indians  have  on  several  occasions  descended  as  far 
as  between  the  cities  of  Zacatecas  and  Durango,  on  the 
very  track  that  I  should  have  to  travel,  and  that  too  with- 
out resistance,  for  the  reason  that  Santa  Anna  had  with- 
drawn all  the  troops  from  the  frontiers,  to  sustain  himself  in 
power  at  home,  and  to  make  the  Northern  provinces  a  wil- 
derness, inhabited  alone  by  barbarous  Indians,  to  prevent 
Mexicans  from  making  settlements,  and  thus  cut  off  the  em- 
igration of  foreigners  to  those  regions ;  as  also  to  seal  more 
eflfectually  the  order  prohibiting  the  residence  of  Americans 
in  the  Californias;  and,  therefore,  if  I  should  be  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  escape  a  cruel  murder  by  the  lawless  Mexicans 
who  infest  the  highways,  I  could  have  no  good  reason  to 
anticipate  protection  from  the  merciless  Carnanche  Indians. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  239 

But  since  I  had  commenced  the  hazardous  undertaking,  not- 
withstanding the  difficuUies  and  dangers  that  my  enterprise 
was  obliired  to  encounter,  and  as  there  was  no  retreat  for 
me,  unless  I  should  be  reckless  of  being  covered  with  the 
shame  of  cowardice,  I,  upon  every  examination  of  myself, 
boldly  resolved  that  I  would  perish,  or  else  overcome  every 
obstacle,  and  make  good  my  residence  at  the  far-distant 
port  of  San  Francisco,  where  I  would  conceive  it  to  be  the 
best  deed  of  my  life  to  protect  the  commerce  and  the  citi- 
zens of  the  United  States. 

The  streets  of  Zacatecas  are  narrow,  crooked  and  singu- 
lar, owing  to  the  city  being  confined  by  mountains.  I  could 
not  at  any  time  have  an  extensive  view  of  any  street,  and 
for  this  reason  it  required  that  I  should  exercise  myself  the 
more  by  walking,  so  that  I  might  see  every  thing  desirable, 
and  form  an  opinion  as  to  what  contrast  Zacatecas  bore  to 
other  towns  that  I  had  seen. 

In  my  rambles  here  I  was  shown  a  mountain  along  the 
sides  of  which  the  old  road  ran,  where  it  is  said  a  large 
amount  of  money  had  been  buried  by  a  band  of  robbers, 
who  long  since  infested  Zacatecas  ;  but  as  the  banditti  had 
been  suddenly  cut  off,  without  leaving  any  one  of  them  to 
divulge  the  secret  where  the  treasure  had  been  deposited, 
the  present  inhabitants  had  from  time  to  time  failed,  in 
fruitless  researches,  and  expenditure  of  large  capital,  in  se- 
curing it.  Many  are  the  excavations  made  by  the  credu- 
lous yet  visible,  in  the  forlorn  hope  of  finding  perhaps  that 
which  had  never  been  secreted. 

There  is  no  country  in  the  world,  and  especially  among 
superstitious  nations,  but  where  there  exist  some  romances 
of  buried  sih^er  and  gold.  Doubtless  the  above  legend  was 
gotten  up  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the  curious,  and  encour- 
age the  ignorant  to  hunt  for  that  which  never  had  an  exist- 
ence, with  the  hope  that  they  might  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
discover  a  new  vein  of  silver,  nature's  hidden  treasure. 

My  visit  to  Mexico,  being  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been 


240  T  n  A  A'  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  1  C  O . 

in  a  Catholic  country,  it  was  with  some  surprise  that,  wher- 
ever I  went,  the  ringing  of  the  church-bells  predominantly 
attracted  my  attention — and  not  until  I  reached  Zacatecas, 
did  I  come  to  an  understanding  of  the  diflerent  ringings 
and  tellings.  I  had  hoped  that,  when  I  left  the  city  of  Mex- 
ico, my  slumbers  and  meditations  would  not  again  have 
been  disturbed  by  having  to  listen  to  the  unusual  and  hour- 
ly tolling  of  bells;  but,  upon  my  arrival  at  Zacatecas,  it 
being  the  only  town  of  any  consequence  I  had  stopped  at  for 
some  days,  I  was  obliged  every  half  iiour  to  put  my  finger 
to  my  ears,  and  shout  out  to  my  servant  to  know  "  Si  la  di- 
ahlo  d  Santa  Anna  habia  arribdge" — If  the  devil  or  Santa 
Anna  had  arrived — which  appeared  to  divert  my  man  very 
much,  when  he  would,  with  all  the  devotedness  of  religious 
feelings,  to  the  great  amusement  of  my  interpreter,  com- 
mence an  explanation  of  the  different  sounds.  Sometimes 
they  were  for  mass — for  the  Mexicans  receive  this  every 
morning  at  eight  o'clock  ;  and  I  have  seen,  on  such  occa- 
sions, the  churches  so  much  crowded,  that  many  would  be 
kneeling  in  front  and  around  the  building,  catching,  in  the 
most  profound  reverence,  every  low  tone  of  the  organ,  as 
well  as  the  solenin  voice  of  the  distant  officiating  priest 
within.  Sometimes  the  tolling  was  for  the  souls  of  some 
deceased  rich  person ;  for  none  but  those  v.  ho  can  pay,  re- 
ceive that  honour.  To  an  individual  seated  in  his  room,  the 
slow  and  deep  tones  of  the  bells  seem  to  be  answered  from 
cupola  to  belfry,  as  if  each  felt  the  distressing  pang  of  death, 
until  the  distant  echoings  of  the  mournful  sound  would  die 
away  upon  the  ear,  producing  a  sadness  of  feeling  in  the 
listener,  while  he  could  imagine  that  he  beheld  the  first 
heavings  of  the  bosom  of  the  deceased,  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  until  the  last  breath  had  flown,  and  the  ])ulse  had 
ceased  to  vibrate,  and  all  was  over. 

Notwithstanding  there  was  a  ceaseless  ding-dong  uproar 
going  on;  yet  the  most  troublesome  of  all,  at  the  same  time 
I  will  confess  it  was  som^mes  a  pleasure,  was  tl>e  an- 


TRAVELSIN    MEXICO.  04  1 

nouncing  the  approach  of  the  meridian  of  day.  The  in- 
habitants are  warned,  for  thirty  minutes  before  tlie  hour  of 
twelve,  that  the  king  of  day  was  about  to  be  poised  just 
above  them,  by  the  bells,  of  most  indifferent  tones,  wishing 
to  ring,  being  irregularly  struck  by  a  wooden  hammer, 
which  produced  smothered,  distressing  sounds,  as  if  to  give 
an  alarm,  but  were  half  way  prevented  by  not  having  full 
power  of  speech.  At  length,  however,  the  blows  would  be- 
come more  regular,  and  were  answered  by  a  distant  bell, 
more  audible,  and  yet  another,  and  another,  until  a  climax 
approached,  when  all  the  brass  in  the  place  seemed  to  be 
crushing  to  pieces — and  precisely  at  the  moment  of  meri- 
dian time,  the  brain  is  pained  by  the  confused  noise,  as  if 
the  world  was  summoned  to  judgment :  then  there  is  a  sud- 
den relief,  produced  by  the  big  tom  of  the  principal  church 
giving,  in  deep  sonorous  tones,  three  taps,  when  all  the  bells 
are  silent,  as  if  called  to  order  by  the  voice  of  majesty. 
Then  is  heard  the  time  of  day,  the  peal  of  12  o'clock,  dur- 
ing which  the  inhabitants  will  stand  uncovered.  The  bells 
alone  do  not  proclaim  the  advance  of  day,  for  the  band  of 
the  garrison  is  ready,  when  the  last  stroke  of  twelve  is 
sounded,  to  rejoice,  with  musical  strains,  in  the  march  of 
diurnal  time ;  after  this  there  is  a  slight  froHc  among  the 
bells,  and  the  noise  ceases.  The  rising  and  going  down  of 
the  sun  is  likewise  celebrated,  which  they  call  the  oration. 

In  Mexican  mesons  the  boarders  do  not  dine  together, 
but  each  one  sends  his  servant  for  his  meals,  or  goes  himself 
into  the  public  room  of  the  fonda  at  any  hour  he  chooses, 
and  is  there  furnished  with  as  many  dishes  as  he  may  like 
to  call  for :  and  although  there  may  be  others  dining  at  the 
same  time,  it  is  not  one  common  mess  where  all  are  fed 
from  the  same  dish,  but  each  one  has  his  peculiar  dish,  un- 
molested by  any  others.  Happening  to  dine  one  day  in  this 
manner,  I  fell  in  company  with  an  old  Spanish  gentleman 
who  could  speak  English,  and  we  had  not  been  long  in  the 
room  before  we  exchanged  looks,  when  he  inquired  of  me 
16 


I 

242  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

if  I  came  bv  the  way  of  the  United  States.  I  replied  that 
I  embarked  at  New  Orleans  for  Vera  Cruz.  He  said  his 
residence  was  far  from  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  that  it  had 
been  a  long  time  since  he  received  any  intelligence  from 
Europe  or  the  United  States.  Having  satisfied  his  inquiries 
as  to  the  English  Union  Jack  affair,  he  then  wished  me  to 
tell  him  what  was  the  tone  of  feeling  of  the  people  of  the 
Union  towards  Mexico,  and  if  the  government  did  not  wish 
to  make  war  upon  that  country,  saying,  that  he  had  under- 
stood that  the  American  Congress  was  desirous  of  obtain- 
ing the  Mexican  lands,  so  that  they  might  increase  the  re- 
venues of  the  treasury. 

Having  heard  the  statements  of  the  old  gentleman,  I  did 
not  hesitate  to  unmask  myself,  and  informed  him  that  I  was 
a  native  of  the  United  States,  and  not,  as  he  supposed,  an 
Englishman ;  and  that  I  was  from  one  of  the  middle  States. 
I  told  him  that  the  people  of  the  Union  sympathised  with 
their  republican  brethren  of  Mexico,  and  rejoiced  with  them 
whenever  they  made  an  advance  in  liberal  principles,  for 
Americans  not  only  loved  civil  liberty  and  justice  at  home, 
but  admired  the  people  of  any  clime  who  have  followed  the 
glorious  examples  of  love  of  freedom  and  independence, 
which  a  Washington  inspired  his  countrymen  with;  and 
that  the  people,  as  well  as  the  government  of  America, 
could  have  no  other  feelings  for  Mexico,  than  those  of  kind- 
ness, notwithstanding  passod  wrongs,  in  respect  for  the 
weakness  and  revolutionary  condition  of  her  neighbour; 
and  that  the  United  States  chose  rather  to  pity  than  to  crush 
her ;  that  the  policy  of  the  United  States  had  never  been 
that  of  conquest,  and  that  she  would  sooner  submit  to  some 
ills,  than  heap  heavier  calamities  upon  others  ;  and  therefore 
Mexico  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  ambition  of  the  United 
States,  so  long  as  she  did  not  infringe  upon  the  laws  of  na- 
tions, or  break  existing  treaties. 

I  related  to  him  that  Mexico  had  never  had  cause  to 
make  a  complaint  or  ask  an  indemnity  of  the  Union,  but 


TRAVELS    1  iV   MEXICO.  243 

that,  on  the  contrary,  my  government  had  to  suffer  delayed 
negotiation  with  her,  for  remuneration  for  the  many  spoHa- 
tions  committed  by  the  Mexican  aut!)orities  upon  the  com- 
merce and  the  private  property  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  all  of  which  our  people  had  endured,  and  no  disposi- 
tion was  shown  on  the  part  of  our  government  to  retaliate 
by  declaration  of  war,  in  consideration  of  which  kindness, 
the  Dictator  and  his  Minister  of  War  and  Marine  had  issued 
a  decree  expelling  Americans  from  three  Departments  and 
the  Californias,  without  any  known  cause,  or  their  having 
been  suspected  of  molesting  the  peace  of  society. 

I  could  but  add  that  unbounded  pity  and  mercy  were 
alone  the  attributes  of  the  deity,  and  tliat  the  government  of 
the  United  States,  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of  human  rea- 
son, would  have  a  stopping  point  for  her  lenity  in  enduring 
accumulating  insults,  injuries  and  wrongs,  which  would 
have  to  be  atoned  for ;  and  if  the  people  of  Mexico  did  not 
look  to  the  misrule  of  their  usurpers,  the  Union  would  have 
to  take  into  consideration  what  course  to  adopt  by  which 
she  might  live  in  reciprocity  of  good  respect  with  her  sister 
republic :  and  that  whatever  her  exasperated  citizens  may 
have  done,  the  government  has  never  encouraged  a  spirit  of 
ill  will  in  the  minds  of  its  people  against  the  inhabitants  of 
any  country :  it  deals  not  in  invective  or  threats,  but  rather 
attempts  to  persuade  and  entreat  others  to  act  justly,  and  in 
the  timely  moment  its'  angry  war-spirited  eye  is  more  to  be 
feared  than  disregarded.  Texas  was  then  free  and  inde- 
pendent, and  if  in  future  time  she  should  wish  to  hover  un- 
der the  wing  of  the  American  Eagle,  it  would  be  labour 
lost,  on  the  part  of  Mexico,  to  make  objections. 

The  old  Spaniard  seemed  to  admit  the  justice  of  my  con- 
clusions, and  replied  that  he  was  pleased  to  be  informed, 
that  the  American  people  were  not  disposed  to  make  war 
upon  Mexico,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  away  the  land  from 
individual  owners,  and  that  for  himself,  notwithstanding  the 
citizens  of  the  Union,  to  his  own  knowledge,  had  often  suf- 
fered, he  was  of  the  opinion  that  there  was  every  good  rea- 


244 


TRAVKhS    IN    MEXICO. 


son  for  the  two  republics  to  live  in  harmony,  if  it  was  not 
for  the  demagogues  and  aspirants  to  power  in  Mexico,  who 
liad  not  only  distracted  their  own  people,  but  were  continu- 
ally breaking  treaties  formed  with  other  powers,  or  else,  in 
their  recklessness,  insulting  nations  with  perfect  wantonness. 
He  said  also,  that  he  hoped  their  deeds  would  not  be  attri- 
buted to  the  Mexicans  as  a  people,  but  to  the  military  des- 
potism, by  which  they  were  governed. 

From  the  position  of  Zacatecas,  it  being  the  point  where 
all  travel  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  Tampico,  or  the  northern 
departments,  centered,  it  was  agreeable  for  me,  some- 
times to  find  a  countryman  journeying  in  some  direction  of 
the  compass,  from  the  most  of  whom  I  heard  complaints  of 
the  indifferent  treatment  they  had  received  from  the  autho- 
rities. Whether  these  allegations  were  strictly  true,  I  can- 
not, by  my  own  knowledge,  testify,  for  I  had  not,  up  to  that 
period  of  my  journey,  had  cause  to  complain  of  oppression 
from  Mexican  officers,  and  as  for  the  reception  which  I  had 
everywhere  met  with,  from  citizens  as  well  as  those  in 
power,  it  had  been  of  the  most  hospitable  and  polite  charac- 
ter, thoujrh  at  the  same  time  it  might  have  had  its  origin  in 
respect  to  the  commission  in  my  pocket,  and  not  to  the  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  Mexico  is  a  country  of 
great  extent,  about  three  thousand  miles,  and  that  the  few 
Americans  who  are  scattered  over  it,  might  not  only  have 
their  privileges  infringed  on,  but  their  persons  imprisoned 
without  cause  or  remedy,  as  was  the  case  in  the  department 
of  Sonora,  as  before  mentioned,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  minister  of  the  United  States,  and  for 
the  reason  of  the  wide  separation  from  the  legation,  of  the 
commission  of  a  hostile  act,  the  minister  can  never  have  an 
immediate  knowledge  of  what  has  happened,  so  that  he 
might  remonstrate. 

The  unfortunate  individuals  who  may  have  had  their  pro- 
perty or  their  liberties  wrested  from  them,  are  almost  effec- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  g^K 

tually  barred  from  all  hope  of  redress,  in  communicating 
the  facts  to  the  American  legation,  as  tlierc  are  now  no  con- 
suls in  the  interior,  for  the  reasons  of  the  distance  from  the 
city  of  ]\fexico,  and  that  letters  by  the  mails  from  Ameri- 
cans are  intercepted,  as  has  been  charged  by  the  sufferers. 
Therefore,  long  after  the  commital  of  one  of  our  citizens  to 
prison,  for  or  without  an  alleged  ofience,  it  is  only  inciden- 
tally known  by  his  execution,  or  a  cruel  death,  consequent 
to  the  diseases  produced  by  confinement. 

The  question  may  arise,  why  do  not  American  citizens, 
when  they  have  suffered  the  loss  of  property,  visit  the  seat 
of  government  and  urge  in  person  their  complaint  1  The 
answer  is,  that  the  individual,  bereft  of  means,  and  broken 
hearted,  in  the  first  place,  feels  an  indifierence  common  to 
the  unfortunate,  and  as  Mexico  is  the  most  dangerous  and 
expensive  country  in  the  world  to  travel  in,  he  could  never 
hope  to  meet  the  minister,  if  he  met  him  at  all,  with  respect. 
It  most  generally  happens  that  ruined  persons  are  obliged, 
under  such  circumstances,  to  use  daily  efforts  for  a  living : 
precisely  in  the  same  manner  as  the  unsuspecting,  uncalcu- 
lating,  honest-hearted  citizen,  who,  to  meet  a  momentary 
relief,  is  wheedled  out  of  his  estate  by  the  usurer,  and  when 
all  his  property  has  vanished,  before  his  benighted  infatua- 
tion is  awakened,  he  finds  himself  defenceless,  being  too 
poor  for  litigation ;  and  thus,  with  a  stubborn  spirit,  sinks  to 
the  scorn  of  the  proud  into  his  grave. 

It  may  not  be  improper,  at  the  present  time,  to  express 
my  unfeigned  pleasure  in  having  it  in  my  power  to  testify 
to  the  marked  solicitude  which  Gen.  Thompson  felt  for  the 
welfare  and  the  protection  of  his  fellow  countrymen:  for  dur- 
ing all  my  stay  at  the  city,  I  can  affirm,  that  in  the  frequent 
meetings  I  had  with  him,  his  deportment  was  always  gen- 
tlemanly, familiarly  easy,  and  ardently  friendly  to  all  Ame- 
ricans ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  his  every  consideration 
seemed  to  be  engrossed  in  the  perplexing  and  vexatious  ne- 
gotiations he  was  obliged  to  carry  on  with  a  prejudiced  and 


24^  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

insulting  government,  located  in  the  cranium  of  a  Dictator, 
and  his  sycophantic  myrmidons. 

Notwithstanding  some  Americans  have  complained  of 
cruel  and  barbarous  treatment,  yet  I  found  some  who,  like 
myself,  are,  in  general,  pleased  with  the  country  and  the 
climate  of  Mexico,  as  also  satisfied  with  the  polite  and  hos- 
pitable reception  they  meet  w  ith  from  the  inhabitants,  both 
foreigners  and  natives. 

It  was  not  until  the  29th  instant,  that  I  visited  the  plea- 
sant retreat  of  the  Alemada  of  Zacatecas.  This  is  a  lovely 
and  romantic  place.  It  is  sufficient  in  length,  but  not  in 
breadth.  However  this  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  a  want  of 
good  taste  on  the  part  of  the  citizens,  for  the  Alemade,  con- 
fined as  it  is  between  two  mountains,  is  the  only  level  spot 
of  land  within  the  compass  of  the  city.  It  is  in  the  form  of 
an  eliptic  circle,  having  round  it  a  stone  wall,  and  layed  oflf 
with  two  promenades,  and  a  carriage  way  around  it. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  shrub  and  flower  on  the  borders 
of  the  walks,  and  the  whole  is  shaded  by  trees,  receiving 
their  irrigation  from  a  large  fountain  in  the  centre.  On 
each  side  of  the  Alemade,  a  little  rising  the  mountain,  there 
is  a  church,  which  adds  much  to  the  picturesque  scene. 
Upon  looking  up  at  one  of  those  churches  I  discovered 
through  the  branches  of  tlie  trees,  a  monument  situated  in 
the  front  of  the  edifice,  and,  on  my  ascending  to  the  honor- 
ar}^  pile,  I  perceived  from  the  epitaph  that  it  was  erected  in 
honour  and  to  the  memory  of  Senor  Don  Francisco  Garcier, 
who  was  governor  of  tlie  department  of  Zacatecas,  when 
it  was  taken  by  Santa  Anna,  in  1833.  The  bronze  bust  of 
the  patriot  is  said  to  be  a  good  likeness  of  the  original,  and 
was  cast  from  an  impression  taken  in  plaster  of  Paris,  by 
Dr.  .Jenkins,  an  English  physician,  who  attended  the  de- 
ceased in  his  last  illness.  With  him,  the  Zacatecans  say, 
departed  Ricn/.i,  the  last  of  the  Romans. 

On  my  return  from  the  Alemade,  I  met  a  large  body  of 
prisoners,  who,  Dr.   Jenkins  informed  me,  were  the   united 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  947 

brethren,  being  all  manacled  together,  two  and  4,wo.  I 
have  ever  noticed,  in  every  town  and  village  through  which 
I  passed,  numerous  gangs  chained  in  a  like  manner,  and  it 
should  be  remembered  that  those  poor  wretches  were  not  the 
v.olunteers  for  the  army,  but  prisoners  of  war  and  of  crime, 
suffering  the  penalties  of  their  different  offences.  Tiie  sight 
of  these  human  beings  is  truly  distressing,  for  through  the 
indifference  of  their  garments  could  be  easily  perceived  the 
weight  of  their  irons. 

The  penalty  in  Mexico,  for  all  misdemeanours  against  the 
law,  is  hard  labour  upon  the  streets  and  the  public  high- 
ways, excepting  such  where  the  law  or  the  will  of  the  judge 
requires  death.  The  public  improvements  are  all  indebted 
to  the  prisoners  for  their  completion ;  for  if  a  street  is  to  be 
paved,  a  road  to  be  made,  or  a  bridge  to  be  built,  the  pri- 
soner is  the  labourer,  and  in  this  way  the  cost  to  the  public 
is  not  taken  so  much  into  consideration  as  if  the  work  had 
to  be  let  out  to  the  lowest  bidder,  and  paid  for,  when  finish- 
ed, in  hard  dollars  and  cents  ;  but,  to  the  contrary,  the 
Commonwealth  in  its  expenditures  is  but  collecting  its  dues, 
for  the  prisoners  owe  an  amount  of  toil  which  is  obliged  to 
be  liquidated,  for  they  must  return  the  price  required  of 
them  for  the  wickedness  they  have  committed ;  and  ways 
are  devised,  as  above  mentioned,  for  them  to  comply  with 
their  obligations  ;  and  in  this  manner  the  public  works  have 
been  pursued,  for  the  Mexicans  have  never  been  famed  for 
bridge,  turnpike,  or  canal  companies. 

It  has  been  a  question  which  the  mild  institutions  of  the 
United  States  gave  rise  to,  whether  it  would  be  better  for 
the  punishment  of  crimes  not  deserving  death,  to  make  sca- 
vengers and  labourers  of  criminals  upon  the  highways,  ex- 
posed to  public  view,  or  else  to  confine  them  closely  in  dark 
dungeons  for  meditation  and  repentance,  or  keep  them  em- 
ployed within  the  walls  of  the  prison. 

The  moral  influence  which  the  penitentiary  system  has 
over  the  offender,  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  best  that  has 


248  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

ever  been  adopted  in  any  country,  to  punish  the  guilty  for 
his  crime,  and  give  ample  opportunity  for  inward  and  out- 
ward atonement.  Still  it  has  been  urged  that  the  exposing 
method  is  better  calculated  to  deter  the  innocent  from  fall- 
ing into  the  examples  of  the  criminal,  by  having  the  punish- 
ment of  crime  before  their  view.  It  is  contended  by  some 
that  the  guilty  never  reform  under  the  chastisement  of  the 
law,  and  that  degraded  as  he  must  ever  be,  by  having  suf- 
fered a  penalty  before  the  public  eye,  he  never  can  feel  en- 
couraged afterwards  to  return  to  the  paths  of  rectitude  and 
virtue. 

It  is  a  source  of  complaint  in  some  of  the  States  that, 
owing  to  the  considerable  number  of  convicts  who  are  kept 
industriously  at  work  within  the  w'alls  of  the  penitentiaries, 
the  honest  mechanic  is  injured,  by  glutting  the  markets  with 
articles  of  his  peculiar  manufacture  ;  and  that  the  peniten- 
tiary system  is  an  injury  to  the  citizen,  who  is  obliged  to 
pay  out  of  his  pocket  a  tax  to  support  a  competition  in  the 
business  by  which  he  derives  his  bread :  and  thus,  undesign- 
edly, the  law,  by  its  incongruity,  oppresses  the  innocent  in 
punishing  the  guilty.  But  the  statute,  like  all  other  human 
devices,  has  its  inconsistencies ;  and  in  the  mother  of  States 
I  have  seen,  in  one  of  her  corporations,  the  public  authori- 
ties sell  at  auction  the  vagrant,  and  the  policeman  for  a  tri- 
fle becoming  the  purchaser,  would  bind  the  new-made  white 
slave,  and  force  him  to  labour  on  the  public  highways ; 
while  the  laws  of  the  same  State,  in  commendable  mercy, 
incarcerate  in  prison,  from  the  odium  of  the  gaze  of  the 
world,  him  who  has  committed  the  basest  of  offences.  I 
only  mention  these  facts  to  show  that,  in  the  wisdom  of 
making  laws,  the  vagrant  is  in  my  opinion  more  severely 
punished,  in  Virginia,  than  the  thief  or  the  murderer. 

On  my  return  to  No.  43,  I  w^as  aroused  by  the  sound  of  a 
small  hand-bell ;  and,  as  there  are  no  such  pursuits  as  auc- 
tions in  Mexico,  I  felt  determined  to  know  its  meaning,  and 
upon  looking  out  I  perceived  the  host  on  its  way  to  some 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  24U 

penitent  upon  a  dying  bod.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who 
have  never  witnessed  a  scene  of  the  kind,  I  wull  attempt  to 
describe  it,  and  if  I  should  err  in  any  particular,  I  trust  that 
the  good  Catholic  brethren  will  excuse  me,  for  I  can  testify 
to  what  I  have  seen,  not  that  I  understood  the  solemn  per- 
formance. 

When  I  had  gained  the  front  window  of  my  room,  1  be- 
held a  coach  drawn  by  mules,  called  the  Holy  Ghost  car- 
riage, which  is  kept  at  a  church  exclusively  for  religious 
purposes.  In  it  was  seated  a  priest,  on  the  back  scat,  read- 
ing a  small  book,  and  before  him  were  two  boys  dressed  in 
scarlet  robes,  holding  burning  candles  in  their  hands.  To 
the  rear  of  the  coach  were  formed  two  lines,  of  about  ten 
in  each,  who  all  had  candles,  and  between  these  lines  was  a 
youth  with  a  bell,  which  he  tinkled  slowly ;  while  behind 
was  a  motley  crowd,  which  looked  neither  religious,  civil- 
ized, nor  savage.  As  the  whole  procession  advanced,  all 
the  people,  both  in  the  street  and  the  houses,  fell  upon  their 
knees,  with  hands  crossed  upon  their  bosoms,  from  which 
position  they  did  not  rise  until  the  holy  father  had  passed. 
I  was  informed  that,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  coach  at  the 
house  of  the  afflicted,  the  right  holy  man  would  descend, 
and,  with  the  cross  in  his  hand,  approach  the  bed-side  of  the 
diseased,  where,  after  confession,  the  sacrament  was  admin- 
istered, and  having  received  the  forgiveness  and  the  bene- 
dictions of  the  father,  the  soul  was  prepared  for  the  man- 
sions of  the  blessed. 

There  was  a  friar  who  resided  near  my  lodgings,  of 
whom  I  observed  that,  whenever  he  rode  or  walked  out,  a 
sheep  of  pure  long  wool  would  always  accompany  him.  So 
far  from  this  being  a  ludicrous  scene,  it  did  appear  to  me  as 
if  there  was  a  good  moral  lesson  in  the  aspect  of  the  friar  and 
his  favourite — for  no  one,  of  Christian  information,  could 
look  upon  the  innocent  countenance  of  the  one,  and  the  pious 
face  of  the  other,  without  being  reminded  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  lamb  who  was  slain  for  the  redemption  of  mankind. 


250 


TRAVELS  IN    MEXICO. 


The  friar  belonged  to  the  Guadaloupe  order,  called  the 
Gray  Friars,  -who  are  the  missionaries  and  preachers  of  the 
Gospel,  and  I  was  informed  were  the  only  clergy  in  Mexico* 
who  could  have  any  pretensions  to  virtue  and  piety.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  high  estimation  in  which  these  friars  arc 
held,  the  dead  are  always  shrouded  in  one  of  their  gowns, 
if  it  could  be  obtained — and,  indeed,  it  was  believed,  that 
death  was  in  a  great  degree  robbed  of  its  sting,  by  the  dy- 
ing knowing  that  they  were  to  be  buried  in  a  Gray  friar's 
cloak,  and  a  good  purse  do  they  have  to  pay,  who  are  so 
fortunate  as  to  secure  this  habit,  more  especially  if  it  has 
ever  been  worn  by  the  holy  man. 

Since  I  have  alluded  to  the  burying  of  the  dead,  I  will 
mention  an  enormity  of  crime  that  I  never  heard  had  an 
existence  in  any  other  country  than  Mexico.  The  grave  there 
cannot  escape  the  ladrone,  and  therefore  the  dead  are  never 
buried  with  any  thing  that  might  be  accounted  of  utility  or 
value,  in  order  to  prevent  the  otherwise  inevitable  disinter- 
ment of  the  deceased,  as  was  the  case  with  the  remaihs  of 
the  nephew  of  the  American  consul  general,  Col.  Wilcox. 

The  gray  cloak  is  too  sacred  and  worthless  a  garment  for 
the  pious  thieves  to  disturb,  and  besides,  they  are  aware  that 
the.y  have  to  make  confession  of  the  deed. 

The  coffins  in  Mexico  are  not  made  like  ours,  peaked  at 
both  ends,  but  point  at  the  foot  and  expand  to  the  head,  in 
the  shape  of  a  wedge.  The  poor  are  buried  in  what  is  called 
an  "  universal  coffin,*'  by  the  body  of  the  deceased  being 
carried  to  the  grave  in  a  box  belonging  to  the  public.  When 
tlie  corpse  arrives  at  the  grave,  it  is  rolled  out  of  the  bier 
coffin  into  its  shallow  home ;  and,  in  a  state  of  naked  na- 
ture has  the  clods  heaped  over  it. 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  I  wish  to  remark  that  I  have 
devoted  as  much  attention  as  to  any  other  one  thing,  to  the 
system  of  the  government  of  the  republic  of  Mexico,  and  I 
attentively  marked  the  deleterious  effi^cts  of  the  different 
points  of  misrule  upon  the  prosperity  of  the  country.     My 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO.  251 

exclusive  object  is  to  make  a  correct  statement  of  the  po- 
litical and  other  affairs  of  unhappy  Mexico  that  I  may- 
deem  most  prominent,  so  that  those  who  are  desirous  may 
have  a  true  detail  of  the  state  and  standing  of  our  sister 
republic,  and  this  I  cannot  do  without  disregarding  all  ap- 
plication that  may  be  made  of  the  facts  to  our  own  govern- 
ment or  any  other.  _ 

My  friend,  Mr.  Scott,  of  the  mint,  said  that  iron  in  Zaca- 
tecas  was  worth  twenty-five  cents  per  pound,  which  was 
more  than  had  to  be  given  for  brass,  and  that  it  w-as  as  ne- 
cessary to  weigh  it  to  his  workmen  as  silver,  for  they 
would  as  soon  steal  the  one  as  the  other.  The  high  value 
of  iron  is  alone  accounted  for,  without  a  difference  of  opin- 
ion, to  the  protective  system. 

Prohibitory  duties  are  indiscriminately  levied  upon  all 
hardwares,  by  Santa  Anna.  There  is  an  abundance  of  iron 
ore  in  Mexico,  said  to  be  of  excellent  quality;  but,  for  the 
want  of  fuel,  it  cannot,  but  at  a  few  places,  be  manufiictured 
— and  that  only  by  rendering  it  more  valuable  than  the  pre- 
cious metals.  Stone  coal  has  never  been  discovered  in  any 
portion  of  the  country,  and  it  would  require  the  fostering 
care  of  centuries  to  cultivate  forests  sufficient  to  supply  the 
land  with  that  all  important  article,  wood,  which  is  neces- 
sary for  manufacturing  purposes.  The  revenues  of  the 
country  being  entirely  lopped  off  by  a  commerce  with  for- 
eign nations,  the  expenses  of  government  were  attempted 
to  be  met  by  direct  taxation,  and  the  bonus  exacted  from 
the  monopoly  of  manufactures. 

It  was  said  to  have  been  no  difficult  matter  to  reward  the 
Dictator's  private  pocket,  that  the  public  coffers  might  be 
defrauded  of  its  just  dues.  The  individual  happiness  of  the 
people  had  never  once  been  consulted,  and  in  consequence 
of  the  inability  of  a  majority  of  the  inhabitants  to  meet  the 
prices  of  wares  and  merchandise,  the  Mexicans  were  com- 
pelled to  return  to  their  garments  of  leather  and  skins,  in 
which  the  first  revolution  found  them. 


252  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO- 

But  for  the  want  of  fuel  Mexico,  in  justice  to  itself,  can 
never  become  a  manufacturing  country  generally,  whereas  if 
this  natural  deficiency  were  once  removed,  she  might,  with  the 
hope  of  success,  compete  with  other  nations — for  the  price 
of  labour,  the  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  United  States 
manufacturer,  would  be  obviated,  by  its  being  abundant  and 
cheap,  perhaps  as  much  so  as  with  any  other  poor  and  op- 
pressed people. 

The  farmer  in  Mexico  never  has  to  pay  more  than  six 
dollars,  one  peck  of  corn,  and  a  half  a  peck  of  beans  per 
month  for  his  field-hands ;  while  the  old,  the  young,  and  the 
females  are  obtained  at  diminished  rates.  I  am  persuaded, 
from  my  observations  of  that  country,  and  the  knowledge 
of  my  own,  that  nothing  can  be  so  self-evident  as  that  nei- 
ther the  one  nor  the  other  can  ever  come  into  a  successful 
competition  with  the  old  world,  whei'e  fuel  and  labour  are 
the  most  abundant  of  their  resources — and  that  for  either, 
or  both  of  them,  to  attempt  to  carry  out  the  principle,  will 
only  be  to  force  their  articles  of  manufacture  upon  their 
own  population,  as  is  the  case  in  Mexico,  at  exorbitant  pri- 
ces ;  for  European  nations  can  afford  to  sell  cheaper,  and 
must  for  ages  monopolize  the  commerce  of  the  world. 


TRAVELS   IN    MEXICO. 


253 


CHAPTER   XV. 


My  interpreter.  AcquainUil  my  inteipreter  willi  ihe  knowledge  I  possessed.  His  remon- 
strance. Should  depart  in  two  days.  Letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  John  Kimble.  Let- 
ters of  introduction.  Departed  from  Zacatecas.  Caratilla.  Unmanageable  mule.  Ma- 
lanoche,  the  (bad  night  mounlainO  Upsetting  of  caratilla.  My  ribs  injured  and  inter- 
preter's collar-bone  broken.  Confusion.  Retrograde  motion.  No.  43.  Interpreter  not 
iible  for  fatigue.  My  resolve.  Second  departure  from  Zacatecas.  Demanded  my  cash. 
Money  missing.  Money  found.  My  journey.  March  to  Frisnillo.  Rile  in  a  Spanish  sad- 
dle. House  of  Mr.  Kimble.  Opinions  of  Mr.  Kimble.  Egregiously  imposed  upon.  Re- 
commends an  interpreter.  Hacienda  de  la  Benefieio  Minerale.  Expenses.  Crushing  ma- 
chine, Grinding-mill.  Great  square.  Quicksilver.  Copper  bell.  Silver  casted  solid 
lumps.  Mint.  Weighing  of  the  metal.  'I'he  mines  of  Zacatecas  and  FrL'-nilo.  'J'ouk 
leaveof  Mr.  Kimble.  Lost.  Encounter  with  a  Mexican.  Two  young  men.  My  trou- 
bles. Coffee.  Mr.  K.  and  my  interjireter.  Interpreter  an  intelligent  man.  Departure 
from  Frisnillo.  Grotesque  appearance.  A  band  of  robbers.  Hones  bUached  on  the 
plains.  Uneasiness  of  ray  interpreter.  Bound  to  Sain  Alto.  Become  used  to  a  Spanish 
saddle.  Threw  myself  from  my  mule.  Exchange  saddles.  Alcalde's  cane.  Adminis- 
tration of  oaths.  Sufferings  increased.  Eat  heartily  nt  Chili.  Sain  Alto.  Dinner. 
Chocolate.  Settlement  of  bill.  Quarrel.  Warm  country.  Maquey.  I'ulque.  'lliree 
men  upon  the  plain.  My  gloves.  Table-land.  A  nipple  of  a  mountain.  Karrow  defile. 
Sombrencte.     Demanded  water.     Mule  knocked  the  tumbler. 


It  was  not.  many  days  after  my  removal  to  43,  that  I 
made  the  important  discovery  that  my  delay  in  Zacatecas 
was  not  caused  by  the  preparations  making  by  my  inter- 
preter for  my  journey  to  Caneles,  but  that,  like  an  enter- 
prising Yankee,  who  perceived  the  speculation  that  might 
accrue  from  the  sale  of  a  few  stoves  and  clocks  in  that  city, 
he  had  had  some  imported  from  New  York,  which  had  just 
arrived  in  time  to  save  their  distance  from  being  rendered 
contraband,  and  he  was  profitably  employed  in  selling  his 
merchandise,  so  ingeniously  smuggled,  under  the  pretext  of 
devoting  his  time  in  my  employment. 

When  this  fact  was  imparted  to  me  I  acquainted  him, 
without  delay,  "of  the  knowledge  I  possessed,  and  assured 
him  that  I  should  discharge  him  from  my  service.  Howe- 
ever,  his  remonstrances  prevailed  over  my  objections,  for  he 
made  himself  out  to  be  as  pure  as  an  angel  of  light;  and, 
as  I  was  obliged  to  have  an  interpreter,  I  resolved  to  be 


oe^.  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

more  watchful  of  my  countryman,  and  cause  him  to  answer 
mv  purpose,  as  a  native,  by  giving  him  to  understand  that 
he  had  lost  my  confidence,  and  that  I  acknowledged  no 
friend  but  my  Toledo-blade,  and  my  six-barreled  pistols ; 
for  that  my  travels  in  the  country  had  sufficiently  satisfied 
me  that  reliance  upon  any  other  resource,  for  honest  protec- 
tion, was  folly. 

My  interpreter  assured  me  that  we  should  take  our  de- 
parture in  two  days'  time,  for  then,  he  said,  my  cartera 
would  be  finished,  with  all  the  accompanying  bed-clothing. 
He  also  stated,  that  he  had  purchased  one  horse,  and  hired 
ten  mules  for  transportation ;  but  as  the  plains  on  the  way 
to  Durango  were  of  a  champaign  character  he  had  put 
himself  to  the  trouble  of  obtaining,  for  my  comfort,  a  car- 
atilla  for  us  to  ride  in.  And  as  he  could  not  consent  to  be 
idle,  he  said,  he  would  have  time  to  make  sale  of  some 
watches  he  had  in  his  possession. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival  at  Zacatecas  I  presented  a 
letter  of  introduction  I  had  been  politely  furnished  with  by 
an  Irish  gentleman  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  to  Mr.  John 
Kimble,  of  Frisnillo,  Mr.  K.  I  found  to  be  a  perfect  gen- 
tleman, and  a  native  of  New  Hampshire.  During  his 
residence  in  Zezatecas  he  had  become  wedded  to  a  lovely 
Mexican  lady.  Although  he  was  a  resident  of  Frisnillo, 
where  he  was  administrador  of  the  haciendo  mineral  of 
tliat  town,  yet  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  him  here,  and 
present  my  letter.  Through  him  I  had  to  acknowledge  my 
obligations  for  the  favour  of  a  letter  from  his  lady  to  Ami 
Seiiora  Da  Fernino  Bernal  Lakeman,  of  the  city  of  Duran- 
go. This  lady  is  the  niece  of  the  late  renowned  Gen.  Boli- 
var, of  South  America,  and  the  wife  of  an  American.  I 
was  likewise  indebted  to  him  for  letters  from  Don  Antonio 
Castrillon,  judge ;  to  Al  S'r.  Sic'o  D.  Fernando  Ramires,  a 
distinguished  lawyer,  and  ex-deputy  of  Mexico.  The  re- 
spected judge  also  did  me  the  favour  and  honour  to  address 
a  letter  to  Al  Cesnio  S'r.  Gobernade  v  Commandante  Jene- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  255 

ral  D'  Jose  Antonio  Hcredia ;  and  the  Hon.  Bocancgra,  se- 
cretary of  foreign  relations  for  Mexico,  liad,  previous  to 
my  leaving  the  capitol,  tendered  me  another,  with  a  request 
that  he  would  do  every  thing  in  his  power  to  forward  my 
intentions.  The  prefect,  Sr.  Sic.  D.  Viviano  Beltraur  like- 
wise honoured  me  with  a  letter  of  introduction  to  a  distin- 
guished lawyer,  of  the  city  of  Durango. 

Everything  being  in  complete  preparation,  my  interpreter 
and  self  took  our  seats  in  the  caratilla  for  our  departure, 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  February,  cheered  with 
the  hope  that  the  journey  would  be  a  speedy  and  delightful 
one.  However,  on  our  very  set-out,  we  experienced  an  ill 
omen,  or  mortification,  produced  by  the  obstreperousness  of 
one  of  the  cargo-mules,  who  would  dash  into  every  cross 
street  and  lane,  much  to  the  fright  of  the  citizens  he  sur- 
prised, while  the  servants  would  spur  after  him  with  their 
lassoes,  exclaiming  angrily,  Diablo  animal,  (devil  animal.) 
We  at  length  succeeded  in  passing  through  the  city,  after 
having  attracted  crowds  to  witness  our  perplexity.  No 
sooner  had  we  passed  the  last  house  of  the  city  than  we 
commenced  the  ascent  of  the  Malanoche,  (bad  night  moun- 
tain,) and  we  had  scarcely  got  half-way  up  it,  than,  in  defi- 
ance of  all  the  drivers,  the  diablo  animal  turned  and  ran 
into  the  city  again,  which  manoeuvre  caused  more  vexa- 
tious delay.  After  a  while,  however,  the  mouse-coloured 
mule  was  recovered,  when  our  journey  was  resumed. 

The  Malanoche  is  of  great  height,  and  travelled  by  a 
road  constructed  by  an  English  engineer,  and  made  by  the 
prisoners.  The  top  being  gained,  and  our  descent  com- 
menced, I  perceived  that  all  was  not  right,  and  quickly  di- 
rected my  interpreter  to  command  the  driver  to  halt,  but,  as 
soonj  the  wretched  contrivance  upset.  We  were  sitting  in 
omnibus-fashion,  face  to  face,  and  as  the  turn  was  to  the 
right,  the  left  shoulder  of  my  interpreter  lodged  against  my 
side  so  violently  as  to  injure  two  of  my  ribs.  The  Ameri- 
can received  the  greatest  damage,  his  collar-bone  being 


256  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

badly  broken.  I  first  succeeded  in  extricating  myself,  by 
passing  under  the  heels  of  the  harnessed  mules,  and  imme- 
diately proceeded  to  tear  away  obstructions  and  rescue  my 
nteipreter,  who,  in  agony,  was  calling  loudly  for  help, 
whicli,  when  done,  I  had  time  to  look  about  and  behold  the 
scene.  JMarcellino,  the  driver,  was  bleeding  at  the  nose, 
while  the  other  servants  were  speechless,  standing  by,  as  if 
they  were  at  mass  or  a  burial.  The  animals  had  scattered 
over  the  mountain-side,  while  guns,  swords  and  pistols,  as 
well  as  Bowie-knives,  were  strewed  all  around. 

My  journey  was  destined,  from  the  misfortune  that  had 
overtaken  me,  to  have  a  retrograde  motion,  and,  Vvith  much 
anxiety  for  my  interpreter,  we  hastened  back  to  Zacatecas, 
my  own  distress  measurably  overcome  by  sympathy  for  his 
sufferings.  Stopping  again  at  No.  43,  Dr.  Jenkins  attended 
and  used  his  professional  services  for  us. 

The  excitement  of  the  occasion  having  subsided,  my  mind 
naturally  reverted  to  the  long  journey  before  me,  and  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome.  My  interpreter,  with  his  frac- 
ture, would  not  be  able  to  proceed,  perhaps,  for  twenty  or 
thirty  days,  which  time,  to  be  lost,  would  have  interfered 
much  with  my  arrangements,  and  I,  therefore,  determined 
not  to  remain  for  his  recovery,  whatever  inconvenience  or 
pain  it  might  cost  me ;  and  I  accordingly  ordered  the  ne- 
cessary preparations  to  be  made  for  my  departure  on  horse- 
back. 

Previous  to  my  second  departure  from  Zacatecas,  disa- 
greeable facts  came  to  my  knowledge,  'respecting  my  in- 
terpreter. In  the  first  instance,  having  demanded  my  cash 
of  him,  which,  for  safety  and  convenience,  I  had  deposited 
in  his  carpet-bag,  I  found  a  deficiency  in  the  sum  I  placed 
there,  of  two  hundred  dollars,  which  I  made  known  to  him, 
but  received  an  answer  that  the  money  had  been  expended 
for  necessaries.  I  had  been  careful  in  paying  out  my  cash 
to  take  vouchers  for  all  my  expenditures,  and  instantly  call- 
ed him  to  account  for  a  general  settlement.    Having  clearly 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO.  257 

demonstrated  his  dishonesty,  I  dechu-ed  to  him  that  I  would 
bring  before  him  the  most  respectable  of  the  foreigners  of 
the  city,  and,  in  his  presence,  prove  the  fraud  and  theft. 
The  penitent  man  wept,  and  implored  me  not  to  expose 
him,  for  he  w^as  w'illing  to  return  me  my  money ;  and  he 
did  make  good  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars,  promising  me 
the  remaining  sixty  at  the  moment  of  my  departure.  True 
to  his  nature,  however,  he  managed  to  secure  that  amount 
to  himself,  and,  rather  than  be  longer  troubled,  and  detained 
by  him,  I  was  advised  to  consent  to  its  loss,  with  mortified 
regret  and  vexation. 

On  the  4th  inst.  I  commenced  again  my  journey,  my 
friend,  Mr.  Scott,  accompanying  me  a  short  distance.  The 
mountain  past,  the  plain  was  a  dead  level.  My  day's  travel 
was  uninterrupted  by  any  other  incident  worthy  of  remark. 
The  road  had  also  a  company  of  troopers,  who  were  on 
their  way  returning  to  Frisnillo,  from  having  conducted  a 
large  amount  of  silver  to  Zacatecas.  The  soldiers  upon  the 
plain  rendered  travelling,  upon  that  day,  comparatively  safe. 
By  two  o'clock  I  had  ended  my  journey,  and  upon  dismount- 
ing at  the  meson,  1  discovered  that  my  ride  in  the  Spanish 
saddle  had  greatly  unmanned  me ;  for,  from  the  erect  and 
forward  inclined  position  I  had  for  several  hours  been 
obliged  to  maintain,  (for  there  are  no  changes  or  shifts  to  be 
made  in  one  of  these  saddles,)  my  bones  ached,  w^hile  my 
muscles  w'ere  all  cramped. 

Previous  to  my  separation  from  Mr.  Scott,  I  requested  of 
him  to  direct  one  of  my  servants  to  conduct  me,  on  my  ar- 
rival at  Frisnillo,  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Kimble.  After  hav- 
ing rested  a  short  time  I  accompanied  my  servant  to  the 
hacienda  beneficio  mineral ;  for  that  proved  to  be  the  resi- 
dence of  my  American  friend. 

On  my  meeting  with  him,  and  acquainting  him  with  the 
misfortunes  that  had  befallen  me,  and  my  being  compelled 
to  travel  without  an  interpreter,  he  appeared  much  concern- 
ed, and  replied  that,  though  I  was  not  very  unfortunate  in 
17 


QKO  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

parting  with  my  first  engagement,  yet  he  considered  it  to  be 
ahiiost  impossible  for  me  to  accomplish  my  journey  without 
an  interpreter,  as  there  were  numberless  obstacles  that  I 
knew  nothing  of  to  meet  me  on  the  way,  and  being  unac- 
quainted with  the  Spanish  language,  my  property  and  life 
were  at  hazard. 

Mr.  Kimble  informed  me  that  our  countryman  and  the 
EnfTflishman,  of  whom  my  animals  had  been  obtained,  had 
grievously  imposed  on  me,  but  that  I  would  have  to  make 
the  best  of  a  bad  bargain.  He  said  that  the  only  individual 
he  knew  w  ho  could  speak  English,  was  an  American,  who 
had  been  in  his  service  but  a  short  period,  and  from  his 
limited  knowledge  of  him  he  could  not  recommend  liis  ser- 
vices as  being  what  I  desired.  But,  as  I  would  have  no 
opportunity  of  employing  an  interpreter  before  reaching 
Durango,  I  was  induced  to  take  him  along. 

Mr.  Kimble  related  that  my  countryman  had  some  pe- 
culiarities, as  he  had  been  residing,  in  an  obscure  manner, 
for  seventeen  years  with  the  lowest  class  of  Mexicans,  and 
had  forgotten  much  of  his  mother-tongue.  He  therefore 
advised  me  to  be  upon  my  guard,  and  not  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  deceiving  me. 

1  was  conducted  by  the  polite  Mr.  Kimble  over  his  haci- 
enda beneficio  mineral,  the  largest  one  in  the  world,  and 
where  more  silver  was  manufactured  than  at  any  other  ha- 
cienda known.  This  mine  is  the  only  one  worked  to  any 
profitable  extent  in  the  whole  country  that  entirely  belongs 
to  a  Mexican  company.  To  give  my  readers  an  under- 
standing of  its  magnitude,  and  the  consequent  expenditures 
of  raising  the  ores,  and  reducing  them  to  silver,  Mr.  K.  as- 
sured me  that  it  required  an  outlay  of  fifty  thousand  dollars 
per  week  to  conduct  its  operation.  The  mine  is  w'orked  by 
steam-power,  the  fuel  costing  fourteen  dollars  per  cord. 

The  administrador  conducted  me  first  to  the  crushing 
apartment.  In  this  extensive  room  were  many  tons  of  ore, 
deposited  in  the  condition  in  which  it  w^as  brought  from 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  neg 

the  mine.  The  ore  resembled  fragments  of  stone,  fresh 
hammered  for  a  Macadamised  road,  each  piece  large 
enough  to  pass  through  an  inch  ring.  In  this  form  it  is 
thrown  under  the  crushing  mill  to  be  pulverised.  This  ma- 
chine is  similar  to  a  powder  mill,  with  the  exception  that 
the  beams  are  heavier  and  closer  together.  Having  gone 
through  the  process  of  crushing,  the  ore  is  removed  to  the 
grinding  mills,  and  in  this  hacienda  there  are  many. 

The  grinding  mills  are  circular,  and  from  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  in  diameter.  They  can  be  propelled  by  any  kind  of 
power,  but  in  Mexico  that  of  mules  is  most  generally  used. 
The  bottoms  are  of  porphyritic  rock  of  the  greatest  solidity 
that  can  be  obtained.  Over  this  solid  disk  are  suspended 
three  long  heavy  stones,  also  of  porphyry.  These  are  held 
to  their  places  by  chains,  which  connect  them  to  three  hori- 
zontal beams,  extending  from  the  shaft  pivot  that  rests  upon 
the  centre  of  the  disk.  The  stones  have  their  li-ont  edges  a 
little  elevated,  so  as  to  receive  the  ore,  when  in  motion, 
while  the  rear  portion  performs  it  duty  by  grinding  it  to  an 
impalpable  powder. 

When  the  ore  is  put  into  the  grinder,  water  is  from  time 
to  time  added  to  it,  until,  in  the  process  of  pulverization,  it 
acquires  a  thick  and  paste-like  appearance  and  consistency, 
which  requires  much  time.  The  process  of  grinding  com- 
pleted, the  ore  is  removed  to  the  great  square  of  the  hacien- 
da, which  I  should  judge  contains  about  two  acres  of  land, 
where  it  is  deposited  in  circular  beds  of  about  ten  feet  in 
diameter,  upon  the  pavement  of  the  square,  in  the  same 
manner  as  a  brick  yard.  Salt,  or  salt  earth  is,  in  suitable 
quantities,  sprinkled  over  the  pile,  as  also  a  little  proportion 
of  pulverized  pine  bark,  and  if  this  cannot  be  secured,  dried 
manure  is  used  as  a  substitute.  The  whole  is  then  trodden 
by  horses  for  some  hours,  until  all  the  parts  have  completely 
acquired  an  admixture.  It  is  then  left  for  three  or  four 
days,  when  a  substance,  prepared  from  copper  ore,  called 
micasiral,  is  added.     The  whole  mass  is  then  sprinkled  with 


260  TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 

quicksilver  ia  considerable  quantities.  It  is  then  worked 
with  iiorses  for  five  or  six  hours,  after  which  it  is  left  until 
the  next  day,  when  a  little  water  is  added,  being  worked  re- 
peatedly from  day  to  day  until  the  whole  has  effectually 
amalgamated.  When  tliis  is  consummated,  a  suitable  portion 
is  deposited  in  an  elevated  stone  vat,  so  that  the  water  may 
escape.  A  large  amount  of  water  is  again  added  to  the  ore, 
when  the  whole  is  rajjidly  mixed,  by  a  fly  wheel  in  the  vat, 
propelled  by  mules,  just  like  the  pool  of  a  paper  mill. 

In  this  process  the  amalgam  of  the  mineral  settles  to 
the  bottom,  and  when  the  whole  mass  has  been  thoroughly 
washed,  the  water  is  discharged,  and  the  offal  escapes. 
The  deposited  amalgam  is  cleansed  by  being  filtered 
through  a  canvas,  until  it  assumes  a  plastic  state,  when  it  is 
made  into  forms  of  triangular  bricks,  by  means  of  moulds^ 
These  are  set  up  into  a  circular  mass,  with  interstices  be- 
tween each.  A  copper  bell  is  then  placed  over  the  whole, 
in  the  presence  of  all  the  officers  of  the  hacienda,  which  is 
then  covered  over  with  charcoal,  and  this  is  kept  ignited  for 
about  twelve  hours,  by  which  time  the  mercury  is  all  subli- 
mated. Being  allowed  to  cool,  the  silver  is  taken  out  in  a 
pure  state,  ready  to  cast  into  bars. 

It  requires  six  pounds  of  quicksilver  to  obtain  one  mark 
of  silver,  including  the  incorporation  and  the  bath,  which  is 
the  amalgamation,  and  in  the  separation  there  is  a  loss  of 
the  same  weight  of  silver,  as  of  mercury,  which  is  a  frac- 
tion, besides  an  additional  consumption  of  mercury,  that  has 
never  been  accounted  for. 

During  the  whole  of  the  above  process  of  extracting  the 
silver,  that  is  to  say,  from  the  commencement  of  the  wash- 
ing, until  the  fire  is  lighted  around  the  bell  containing  the 
amalgam,  the  administrador  has  his  officers  summoned  to 
attend,  to  prevent  the  secreting  of  the  metal,  but  after  the 
charcoal  is  ignited  all  is  safe,  for  if  those  left  to  watch  the 
fire,  should  raise  the  bell,  the  inhaling  of  the  sublimed  mer- 
cury, a  certain  result  of  the  imprudence,  would  destroy  life. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  gg^ 

The  appearance  of  tlie  amalgam,  when  the  copper  bell 
is  lifted  from  it,  is  porous,  like  a  honey-comb,  which  is 
caused  by  the  quicksilver  leaving  the  silver  in  sublimation. 
Thus  it  is  perceived,  that  to  make  pure  silver  is  no  easy 
task,  but  requires  days  of  labour  from  man,  beast,  and  ma- 
chinery, as  w^ell  as  the  watchfulness  necessary  to  be  bestow- 
ed on  it. 

After  the  silver  is  cast  into  solid  lumps,  about  the  size  and 
shape  of  pigs  of  lead,  as  seen  in  the  United  States,  it  is  car- 
ried to  the  mint,  when,  agreeable  to  its  weight,  being  pre- 
viously assayed,  its  value  in  coin  is  received. 

From  the  office  of  the  administrado,  it  is  next  carried  into 
the  furnace  room,  where  the  pigs  are  melted,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  casting  them  into  bars,  eighteen  inches  in  length, 
one  and  a  half  broad,  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness. 
They  are  then  w^cighed  to  discover  if  they  correspond  with 
the  original  Vv^eight  of  the  pigs.  The  bars  are  then  put  un- 
der the  rolling  mill,  where  they  are  reduced  to  a  flatness, 
consistent  wath  the  dimensions  of  the  coin  to  be  manufac- 
tured. The  thin  slips  of  silver  are  then  taken  to  machinery, 
where  they  are  cut  to  the  difierent  sizes  of  money,  and  from 
thence  to  the  edging  mill,  which  prepares  it  to  receive  the 
impression  of  the  Mexican  eagle,  prickly  pear,  bee  hive, 
sun,  &c.  From  thence  it  had  to  pass  through  the  pickling, 
or  washing  apartment,  where  the  coin  is  cleansed,  and  re- 
ceives its  perfect  brightness,  and  is  rendered  fit  for  use. 

The  silver,  from  the  time  of  its  being  first  melted  into 
pigs,  until  it  is  washed,  never  passes  from  the  hands  of  one 
workman  into  those  of  another,  without  the  scrutiny  of 
weight  and  counting.  And  thus  it  is,  the  invaluable  metal, 
when  scattered  to  the  w^orld,  in  its  fluctuating  passage,  ever 
creates  the  greatest  solicitude  to  its  possessor,  until  it  re- 
turns to  nature,  by  invisible  atoms. 

When  examining  the  rich  mines  of  Mexico,  the  question 
has  often  arisen  in  my  mind,  what  has,  and  does  become  of 
the  vast  amounts  of  silver  and  gold  that  the  industry  of  man 


253  TRAVELS  IN  3IEXIC0. 

has  rescued  from  the  depths  of  the  earth  ?  It  did  seem  to 
me  that  any  one  of  the  mines  I  examined,  would  supply  the 
pockets  of  every  living  creature,  continually,  with  small 
change.  The  mines  of  Zacatccas  and  Frisnillo  are  said  to 
be  about  the  oldest  known  in  Mexico,  and  from  their  rich- 
ness, and  the  length  of  time  they  have  been  worked,  have 
produced  an  amount  of  bullion  that  would  almost  seem  in- 
credible. A  gentleman,  of  high  standing  as  a  miner,  in- 
formed me  that  it  had  been  estimated  that  Zacatecas  and 
Frisnillo  had  yielded  two  hundred  millions  of  the  precious 
metals.  There  are  two  kinds  of  silver  mines,  designated 
by  the  letters  A  and  U,  owing  to  the  two  different  ways 
that  veins  of  silver  make  their  appearance  generally. 

Late  in  the  evening  I  took  my  reluctant  leave  of  Mr. 
Kimble,  who  assui'ed  me  that  he  would  visit  me  at  the 
meson,  when  my  intended  interpreter  should  arrive  in  town 
from  the  country.  Upon  my  leaving  the  mine,  I  discovered 
that  my  servant  had  not  waited  for  me,  and  that  I  should 
have  to  find  my  way  alone  to  the  meson  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  which  I  had  no  doubt  that  I  could  easily  do.  I  return- 
ed by  the  same  streets,  as  I  imagined  I  came,  until  at  length 
I  could  not  remember  where  I  was.  I  hastened  from  street 
to  street,  with  the  hope  of  coming  to  the  \yell-known  big 
door  of  my  meson,  but  none  that  I  beheld  was  the  one  look- 
ed for.  The  sun  was  setting,  and  I  trembled  at  the  thought 
of  finding  myself  lost  in  the  town  of  Frisnillo  at  night. 

Although  J  felt  a  confusion  at  the  idea  of  confessing  my 
condition  to  any  one,  and  had  some  apprehensions  of  conse- 
quences in  letting  my  bewildered  situation  be  known,  I  re- 
solved to  speak  to  a  IVIexican  who  was  standing  in  the 
street.  I  accordingly  said  to  him,  Tray  game  diligencia 
meson  ;  the  man  gave  me  a  piercing  look,  and  commenced 
making  a  long  speech  in  Spanish,  which  I  silenced  by  re- 
peatedly saying,  Ko  intendi,  Senor.  He,  with  much  sur- 
prise, again  stared  at  me,  then  turned  upon  his  heels  and 
walked  off.     I  was  surprised  at  his  behaviour,  for  I  thought 


TRAVELS    IN  MEXICO.  ggg 

I  had  asked  him  in  good  Spanish  to  carry  me  to  the  diligcn- 
cia  meson ;  but  what  the  more  surprised  me  was,  that  I 
showed  the  rascal  a  rial,  which  in  all  conscience  would 
have  paid  him  well  for  his  trouble. 

I  proceeded  but  a  little  way  before  I  met  two  well-dressed 
young  men,  who  had  much  the  appearance  of  foreigners, 
and  I  determined  to  accost  them  in  plain  English,  but  they 
shook  their  heads.  At  length  one  of  them  replied  by  the 
interrogation.  Parley  vous  Fi  ancais  ?  and  with  more  morti- 
fication than  ever,  I  had  to  give  the  negative  answer.  I 
then  endeavoured,  by  signs,  to  make  the  gentlemen  under- 
stand me,  and  repeating  often  the  name  of  the  house  I  wish- 
ed to  find,  one  of  them  took  me  by  the  arm,  and  safely  de- 
livered me  at  the  meson. 

My  troubles  were  not  at  an  end  then ;  for  I  was  so  much 
distressed  that  I  could  not  find  my  room,  and  not  only  were 
my  servants  wanting,  but  not  a  living  soul  could  I  behold 
upon  the  premises.  I  had  to  wait  at  least  one  hour  before 
Marcelino,  my  principal  man,  arrived.  He  appeared  to  be 
as  big  a  fool  as  myself,  for  I  could  not  make  him  understand 
that  I  wished  to  be  shown  to  my  room.  At  last  the  thought 
occurred  to  me  to  say  cartera,  and  with  hastened  delight  he 
left  me,  and  in  a  few  moments  returned,  bearing  my  out- 
spread cot  upon  his  head.  With  much  difficulty  I  turned 
him  about,  and  following  him  to  the  apartments  from 
whence  he  brought  the  cartera,  I  found  my  lodgings  and  my 
baggage. 

Marcelino  prepared  me  some  coffee,  of  which  I  partook 
without  an  appetite ;  but,  by  the  time  I  had  finished  it,  my 
friend,  Mr.  Kimble,  and  an  Englishman,  wdiose  name  I 
have  now  forgotten,  appeared,  bringing  with  them  my  fu- 
ture interpreter.  Mr.  K.  gave  me  much  friendly  advice 
respecting  my  journey ;  and,  after  having  exhorted  my  new 
man  to  be  faithful  and  brave,  he  left  with  his  companion , 
both  taking  an  affectionate  farewell  of  me,  with  many  hopes 


264 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


that  I  would  triumpli   over  every  difficulty,  and  make  safe 
my  way  to  my  port  of  destination. 

My  interpreter,  although  indiflerently  dressed,  was  a  re- 
markably good-looking  and  intelligent  man.  One  thing, 
however,  was  predominant  in  his  ])hysiognomy — dejected- 
ness — which  immediately  won  my  sympathy  for  liim,  as  I 
presumed  that  he  had  been  oppressed  by  the  misfortunes  of 
the  W'Orld.  His  conversation  was  free,  though  he  liad  a 
slight  impediment  in  his  speech — but  he  did  not  seem  incli- 
ned to  indulge  in  vivacity  of  thought,  as  all  he  said  was  in 
as  solemn  a  manner  as  preaching,  and  very  sensible. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  instant,  I  took  my  de- 
parture from  Frisnillo.  My  servant,  Marcelino,  had  mount- 
ed me  on  a  beautiful  little  mule,  wliich  he  recommended  as 
being  an  uncommon  easy  pacer,  and  it  came  up  to  his  de- 
scription, for  it  ambled  along  as  gaily  as  though  it  did  not 
carry  a  burden  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five,  or  seventy 
pounds.  My  company  had  a  grotesque  appearance.  It 
consisted,  besides  myself,  of  five  men  all  well  armed,  and 
ten  animals.  One  of  the  mules  carried  my  trunk  and  bed- 
ding, while  another  was  loaded  with  my  kitchen,  thus  leav- 
ing two  for  a  change,  or  to  meet  casualties. 

Every  thing,  so  far  as  I  was  able  to  perceive,  went  on 
smoothh'.  ]My  interpreter  kept  close  to  my  side,  and  as  of- 
ten as  he  cast  his  eyes  over  the  plain,  and  behind  him,  he 
w^ould  wish  himself  one  day's  journey  from  Frisnillo.  He 
related  to  me  the  facts  of  an  attack  which  a  band  of  rob- 
bers had  made,  but  two  nights  previous,  upon  a  hacienda 
campus  in  sight  of  Frisnillo,  when  five  of  the  ladrones,  and 
two  of  the  rancheros  w'ere  killed.  He  said  that,  notwith- 
standing he  had  never  attended  the  lectures  in  the  United 
States,  yet  he  was  a  doctor  in  Mexico,  and  that  some  of 
the  wounded  in  the  late  action  were  his  patients.  He  af- 
firmed that  he  cared  as  little  about  fighting  as  any  other 
person,  but  that  lie  craved  a  natural  death,  and  abominated 
the  thought  of  bleaching  upon  the  i)lains.     His  uneasiness 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  0(55 

was  considerable,  and  indeed  liad  the  cftcct  of  creating  ad- 
ditional apprehensions  with  myself. 

My  journey,  for  that  day,  was  as  far  as  Sain- Alto,  a  dis- 
tance of  full  fifty  miles  from  Frisnillo.  We  therefore  had 
no  time  to  Jose,  but  kept  our  animals  pacing  onwards  as 
briskly  as  they  would  go.  Although  the  })revious  day's  ride 
had  somewhat  disconcerted  me,  the  set-out  of  this  morninc[ 
was  not  as  disagreeable  as  I  imagined  it  would  be,  and  I 
was  in  hopes  that  I  would  soon  become  used  to  a  Spanish 
saddle,  and  feel  as  nimble  as  the  best  of  them ;  but,  oh,  Ge- 
nius of  Mazeppa!  I  had  a  different  story  to  tell,  for  by  the 
middle  of  the  day  I  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  in  agony 
and  anger,  I  threw  myself  from  my  easy-pacing  mule,  and 
tumbled  upon  the  grass,  while  the  little  animal  commenced 
feeding  around  me.  Out  of  the  stiff  strong  leathers  of  my 
new  saddle,  that  held  me  in  a  position  precisely  as  if  I  was 
laced  in  a  rack  before  a  Spanish  inquisition  for  torture,  I 
felt  easy ;  and,  from  that  moment,  I  had  no  doubt  but  tliat 
Spanish  saddles,  so  called,  were  invented  by  Philip  the  Se- 
cond, for  the  iniquitous  purposes  of  the  inquisition.  I  ex- 
amined all  the  saddles  of  my  men,  and  found  that  that  of 
my  interpreter  was  the  oldest,  and  the  leathers  could  in  some 
degree  be  made  pliable,  so  I  proposed  a  swap  with  him, 
though  my  own  was  worth  twenty  times  as  much  as  his. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  stopped  at  a  house  to 
noon  it.  While  reposing  on  a  bed,  I  heard  my  interpreter 
say  that  we  were  safe,  which  caused  me  to  inquire  the  mean- 
ing of  his  declaration.  He  replied  that  he  saw  hanging  on 
the  wall  of  the  room  we  were  in,  the  Alcalde  cane,  point- 
ing to  it  as  he  spoke,  and  adding  that  he  ahvays  felt  safe 
when  lodged  in  the  house  of^  an  Alcalde.  The  commission 
of  an  Alcalde  is  accompanied  with  a  cane,  by  order  of  the 
government,  dressed  off  with  a  bunch  of  silk  tassels,  and  a 
silver  or  gold  head.  The  officer  in  authority  cannot  preside 
on  any  occasion  without  his  cane;  neither  arc  the  j)eople 
bound  to  obey  him  without  this  insignia  of  his  power  in  his 


Ogg  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O . 

hand.     ITc  is  only  the  magistrate  with  his  cane,  without  it 
he  becomes  the  private  citizen. 

In  INIexico  oaths  are  seldom  administered  ;  but,  when  they 
are,  the  Alcalde  crosses  his  fore-finger  with  his  thumb  over 
the  head  of  his  cane,  and  swears  his  evidence  in  the  name 
of  the  commonwealth. 

From  the  Alcalde's,  where  we  made  but  a  short  stay,  we 
pursued  our  journey.  My  sufferings  increased  with  my  fa- 
tigue, and  in  the  evening  I  witnessed  the  going  down  of  the 
sun  without  having  arrived  at  Sain-Alto.  At  the  hour  of 
ten  o'clock  the  town  was  gained,  and  I  had  the  happiness  of 
dismounting  in  the  court  of  a  large  meson  in  that  place. 

My  interpreter  recommended  me  to  eat  heartily  of  chili, 
saying  that  it  would  strengthen  and  relieve  me ;  and,  not- 
withstanding that  I  knew  the  remedy  was  a  hot  one,  yet,  in 
despair,  I  felt  sufficiently  courageous  to  have  taken  arsenic, 
with  the  promise  of  restoration.  My  interpreter  was  fond 
of  good-eating,  and  had  ordered  a  plentiful  supper.  By  way 
of  encouragement  to  me  to  partake  of  the  stewed  red  pep- 
per, he  swallowed  about  a  half  pint  of  it.  Thinking  that 
the  stimulating  stuff  would  excite  me,  I  did  not  further  hes- 
itate to  commence  upon  it ;  but  my  fatigue  was  so  severe 
that  chili  was  tasteless  to  my  palate,  and  I  ate  a  hearty  meal 
of  it,  which  must  have  had  some  good  effect — for  that  night, 
for  the  first  time  since  my  arrival  in  Mexico,  I  had  a  health- 
ful glow  upon  the  surface. 

Early  in  the  morning,  I  was  aroused  by  the  preparations 
making  by  my  servants  for  a  start ;  and,  having  taken  cho- 
colate, a  woman  entered  to  collect  the  bill.  I  observed  Mar- 
celino  at  a  short  distance  from  us  attentively  listening  and 
looking  on,  and  as  soon  as  my  interpreter  informed  me  of 
the  amount  I  had  to  pay,  I  handed  it  over  to  her  ;  but  my 
faithful  servant  instantly  came  forward,  and,  with  angry 
gestures,  and  vehement  articulation,  commenced  a  quarrel 
with  the  woman  and  my  interpreter,  which  finally  resulted 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 


207 


in  Marcclino  handing  mc  back  seventy-five  cents,  which  I 
had  overpaid.  I  felt  mucli  pleased  at  what  had  happened, 
for  my  interpreter  had  been  taught  a  lesson  that  if,  througli 
design  or  his  ignorance,  I  was  imposed  upon,  I  was  never- 
theless not  defenceless. 

After  w^e  had  mounted,  and  were  leaving  Sain-Alto,  I 
perceived  that  my  previous  day's  journey  had  brought  me 
to  a  warm  country,  for  many  of  the  houses  of  that  place 
were  fenced  in  by  the  tall  organo.  This  is  a  species  of  the 
prickly  pear,  and  is  not  only  beautiful  to  look  at,  but  a  cu- 
riosity in  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  is  of  a  perfect  deep 
green  colour,  and  rises  from  ihe  ground  in  a  solid  column, 
of  an  equal  size,  often  reaching  a  height  of  twenty  feet.  It 
is  regularly  fluted  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  as  if  done  by 
the  exactness  of  an  artist's  line,  rule,  and  compass. 

The  maquey  also  flourished  here.  It  is  this  plant  which, 
I  believe,  is  said  to  blossom  once  in  an  hundred  years.  It 
is  true  that  the  colder  the  latitude,  the  later  it  will  flow^er : 
but,  in  the  climate  of  Mexico,  it  generally  blossoms  once 
in  seven  years.     Mr.  Prescott  remarks  of  it : 

"  The  miracle  of  nature  is  the  great  Mexican  aloe,  or  ma- 
quey, whose  clustering  pyramids  of  flowers,  towering  above 
their  dark  coronals  of  leaves,  w^ere  seen  sprinkled  over 
many  a  broad  acre  of  table  land.  As  w^e  have  already  no- 
ticed, its  bruised  leaves  afford  a  paste  from  which  paper 
was  made;  its  juice  was  fermented  into  an  intoxicating  be- 
verage, pulque,  of  which  the  natives  to  this  day  are  exces- 
sively fond  ;  they  further  supplied  an  impenetrable  thatch  for 
the  more  humble  dwellings ;  thread,  of  which  coarse  stuffs 
were  manufactured,  and  strong  cords  were  draw^n  from  its 
twisted  fibres ;  pins  and  needles  were  made  of  the  thorns  at 
the  extremity  of  the  leaves ;  and  the  root,  when  properly 
cooked,  was  converted  into  a  palatable  and  nutricious  food. 

"  The  maquey,  in  short,  was  meat,  drink,  clothing,  and 
writing  material  for  the  Azetic  !     Surely  never  did  nature 


268 


TRAVELS    I  \    MEXICO. 


enclose,  in  so  compact  a  compass,  so  many  elements  of  hu- 
man comfort  and  civilization." 

The  maqucy  is  as  luxuriant  in  its  growth  as  that  of  any 
other  plant  that  I  have  seen,  sometimes  measuring  ten  or 
twelve  feet  across  the  circumference;  yet  it  is  astonishing 
to  behold,  that  it  matters  not  as  to  the  soil  upon  which  it 
grows,  it  will  present  the  same  appearance  of  vigorous  life. 
I  have  seen  it  growing  on  stone  walls,  \vhere  not  a  parti- 
cle of  earth  could  be  detected  by  the  eye,  with  the  same 
admirable  beauty  as  upon  the  rich  soil.  How  then  does  this 
plant  sustain  itself?  The  regions  of  the  upper  table  lands 
are  arid  and  dry  ;  for  no  moisture  can  be  detected  in  the 
atmosphere,  day  or  night,  during  the  dry  season,  apart  from 
the  lakes  and  rivers.  How  then  does  it  exist  1  Is  it  possi- 
ble that,  without  earth,  clinging  only  to  the  rocks  to  hold  its  up- 
right position,  it  must  receive  its  nourishment  from  the  gasses 
of  the  atmosphere  ?  Doubtless  nature  in  its  economy  de- 
signed that  the  periodical  south-west  winds  that  sweep  over 
the  plains  and  mountains  during  the  dry  season,  from  the 
Pacific,  brings  with  it  moisture  from  the  ocean,  and  thus 
supplies  vegetation  with  hydrogen,  although  the  human  eye 
and  feeling  cannot  perceive  it.  And  too,  the  maquey  ex- 
celling, if  any  thing,  in  its  deep  green  aspect  and  symme- 
trical and  heavy  leaves,  3'ields  every  twenty-four  hours  one 
quart  or  more  of  rich  fluid  called  pulque.  In  whatsoever  ad- 
vantage this  plant  may  be  considered,  I  am  compelled  to  de- 
cide that  it  is  the  wonder  of  vegetable  nature. 

After  we  had  travelled  about  three  leagues  from  Sain- 
Alto,  my  intcr])retcr  called  my  attention  to  three  men,  who 
had  suddenly  made  their  appearance  upon  the  plain,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  they  commenced  a  rapid  speed  tow^ards 
us.  Marcelino  drew  his  sword,  and  fell  back  to  my  side.  I 
jerked  my  gloves  from  my  hands,  and  hastily  threw  them 
aw'ay,  and  in  another  moment  wc  were  all  prepared  to  meet 
the  worst.     Our  assailants  supposing,  perhaps,  that  their  re- 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  nan 

ception  might  be  too  warm,  from  the  precipitous  defence  we 
were  making,  changed  their  direction  from  us,  and,  our 
march  being  resumed,  they  were  soon  lost  to  view.  I  in- 
formed my  interpreter  that  he  might  have  my  gloves,  if  he 
w'ould  dismount  and  pick  them  up ;  but  he  declared  that  he 
had  no  intention  of  encumbering  his  hands  when  his  life 
was  in  danger.  The  servants  also  all  refused  to  take  them, 
and  in  fact  gloves  are  not  used  in  Mexico  when  travelling, 
for  no  man  can  tell  at  what  moment  he  may  need  the 
best  use  of  his  fingers.  I  determined  also,  that  if  I  could 
not  wear  them,  they  should  not  be  in  the  way,  when  I 
had  a  call  for  bullets  and  cartridges  from  my  pockets. 

My  journey,  for  that  day,  was  over  a  table  land,  similar 
to  that  which  I  had,  on  the  day  previous,  travelled.  But 
towards  the  close  of  evening,  a  nipple  of  a  mountain  was 
pointed  out  to  me,  which  had  the  resemblance  of  a  Mexi- 
can hat,  and  was  therefore  called  Somhrercto.  This  peak 
overlooked  a  town  of  the  same  name.  By  the  setting  of  the 
sun  we  had  passed  a  narrow  defile  of  the  mountain,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  town  of  Sombrereto,  a  place  which  had  former- 
ly been  of  some  importance  in  Mexico,  from  the  abundance 
of  silver  that  had  been  extracted  from  its  mines ;  but  they 
becoming  unprofitable,  were  deserted,  and  the  town  left  to 
decay,  its  inhabitants  depending  principally  upon  highway 
robbery  for  support.  As  1  entered  the  tovv^n,  and  was  pass- 
ing a  large  building,  I  was  hailed  by  a  custom-house  of- 
ficer. I  informed  my  interpreter  to  say  to  the  man,  that  I 
was  an  American  officer,  and  he  received  in  reply  that 
all  was  right ;  for  he  was  under  the  impression  that  I  be- 
longed to  the  army,  and  without  further  delay  we  made 
for  the  meson. 

No  sooner  had  I  dismounted  from  my  animal,  than  I  de- 
manded some  water,  for  my  mouth  and  throat  were  parched 
with  thirst.  A  woman  of  the  meson  handed  me  a  pint  glass 
of  the  pure  crystal  clement,  and  having  taken  it,  I  was 


270  TilAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

handing  the  glass  back  to  her,  with  the  request  that  it 
should  be  filled  again,  when  I  supposed  my  wearied  little 
mule,  who  Avas  standing  by  my  side,  craving  water  as 
much  as  myself,  knocked  the  tumbler  out  of  my  hand.  The 
woman  passionately  demanded  fifty  cents  for  her  satisfac- 
tion, but  Marcelino  interposed  and  quieted  the  difficulty  for 
thirty-seven  and  a  half.  Food  and  sleep  w^ere  my  next 
wants,  and,  in  their  turns,  I  happily  devoted  myself. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


271 


CHAPTER   XYI. 

What  direction  I  would  take.  Departure  from  Sombrereto.  Under  mucli  exciteniciif. 
Fatigue,  hunger  and  thirst.  Hacienda  Campus  de  les  Muleros.  Small  red  wolves. 
Slicep.  Great  house.  Refused  aduiittance.  Huspilality  of  a  youiij  Mexican.  His 
wife.  Paixham  balls.  Diversion.  Countrymen  in  pursuit  of  a  lawyer.  Understanding 
of  right  and  wrong.  Servants  feet  locked  under  a  mule.  Many  siiiall  streams.  Unsa- 
tisfied thirst.  Mexicans  never  wash  when  travellin;^.  I.a  Ponta.  Proceed  to  San  Casan. 
Arms  discharged.  My  duty.  Corpse  of  two  men.  'I'ravel  1400  miles.  River.  Iron 
furnace.  The  city  of  Durango.  De  la  Santa  Paula  meson.  Breakfast.  De  Cadena 
Casa.  My  walk.  Two  plazas.  Fire  arms.  The  Allemade  of  the  city  of  Durango. 
The  Convento  of  the  patron  Saint.  Durango,  a  Bishopric.  One  of  the  nine  mints.  My 
servant's  comparisons  of  coins.  A  retired  part  of  the  Allimade.  Bi-Hections.  Vale  of 
delusion.  Civil  without  religious  liberty.  Tom  Paine.  Thomas  Jeflerson.  The  great 
silence  of  Me.xiean  towns.  Ruin  of  JOG  houses.  Dinner.  Mr.  James  More  and  an  Eng- 
lishman. Snap  of  a  pistol.  Narrow  escape  of  life.  Mr.  German  Stalknit.  His  mistake. 
Letters  of  introduction.  Signor  Don  Fernan(Jo  Remi/.es.  Hospitality.  Retlections. 
Dwelling  of  Remizes.  Furniture.  Libraries  of  the  ex-Deputy.  His  character.  Suffra- 
ges for  President.  Introduction.  Liberality.  History  of  the  LTnited  Slates.  Alicraus. 
Hareourt.  Courtesy  of  the  Govern(>r  of  Durango.  Mr.  John  Belden.  'I"he  people  of 
Durango.  Bishop  of  Durango.  The  Bishop's  character.  Cotton  manufacture  of  the 
Stalkuits.  College  of  Durango.  Education.  Change  of  dress.  Best  of  arms.  To  Bi- 
vouac. A  tent.  Letters  of  introduction  from  the  Governor.  Remizes.  Ten  loads  of 
silver. 

My  interpreter  informed  me,  that  previous  to  our  leaving 
Sombrereto,  it  would  be  prudent  to  deceive  the  people  of 
that  town,  as  to  what  direction  I  would  take  on  my  depar- 
ture from  it.  I  consented  to  his  design  of  sending  one  of 
my  servants  into  the  streets  to  answer  inquiries,  by  saying, 
that  business  had  brought  me  there,  and  that  I  should  on  the 
following  day  go  back  whence  I  came.  Marcelino  pre- 
ferred to  perform  the  task,  and  on  his  return  seemed  to  be 
delighted  with  his  success.  He  said  that  he  related  to  the 
people  that  my  journey  not  only  terminated  at  their  town, 
but  that  it  possibly  was  my  intention  to  open  a  mine  there ; 
which  information  much  delighted  the  impoverished  citi- 
zens. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  inst.  I  took  my  departure  from 
Sombrereto.  My  animals  were  driven  out  of  the  eastern 
end  of  the  town,  the  same  direction  that  I  had  entered  it. 
No   sooner,   however,  had   we   become   obscured   by  the 


272  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  I  C  O  . 

houses,  than  we  turned  directly  to  the  north,  and  having 
ascended  a  spur  of  a  mountain  that  put  us  upon  a  plain,  we 
hastily  continued  the  same  course  for  about  two  leagues, 
when  Marcelino,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  coun- 
try, suddenly  tacked  due  west,  and  after  travelling  one 
league,  he  resumed  his  proper  direction  of  north.  During 
all  this  time  my  interpreter  and  servants  seemed  to  labour 
under  much  excitement,  by  continually  straining  their  eyes 
to  the  rear,  and  over  the  table  land.  Marcelino  said  it  was 
true,  that  he  had  no  property  to  lose,  but  that  the  ladrones 
never  spared  the  servants ;  for  they  called  them  poor  lazy 
devils,  and  flogged  them  severely ;  while  the  master  would 
be  discharged,  if  he  surrendered  like  a  gentleman,  with 
many  thanks  and  applause  for  his  industry  and  accumula- 
tion of  money  and  valuables.  Upon  separating  with  him 
they  would  advise  him  to  have  at  least  as  much  for  them, 
if  they  should  again  meet  him,  for  if  he  should  not,  his  fate 
would  be  that  of  his  servants,  if  not  death. 

My  journey,  on  this  day,  was  uninterrupted,  saving  by 
fatigue,  hunger  and  intolerable  thirst ;  for  we  found  neither 
pool  nor  stream  of  water.  The  country  through  which  we 
travelled  was  uneven  and  rolling;  but  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  day  the  plain  became  a  dead  level,  and,  from  first, 
having  to  travel  through  the  low  musquito-grovvth,  we  came 
to  a  cove  of  broad  shady  trees,  small,  and  thinly  scattered 
over  the  land,  which  might  be  denominated  a  forest. 

Just  bcf(.)re  the  set  of  sun  wo  hove  in  view  of  the  castle 
of  the  Hacienda  campus  de  los  Muleros,  (a  place  of  mules,) 
yet  every  other  kind  of  stock  and  vegetation  was  raised  and 
cultivated  there,  for  it  was  one  of  the  finest  estates  that  I 
had  ever  beheld.  The  sight  of  the  premises  was  most  con- 
genial, lor  it  v.as  the  first  house  that  I  had  seen  the  whole 
day;  allhou'jh  it  was  full  five  miles  from  me,  it  promised 
repose  from  my  toils,  at  no  very  distant  period,  and  I  felt 
cheered  wilh  the  hope.  Presently  we  came  upon  a  gang 
of  small  red  wolves,  common  in  Mexico,  and  then  we  ap- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  070 

proached  a  herd  of  many  thousand  sheep:  at  lengtli  we 
passed  the  ranchos  of  the  place,  and  arrived  immediately  in 
front  of  the  great  house. 

One  of  my  servants,  who  had  been  sent  before  me  to  the 
castle,  informed  me  that  the  administrador  had  said,  that 
there  was  no  spare  room  for  strangers ;  for  the  house  was 
filled  with  corn,  saving  one  apartment  for  himself  and  wife; 
and  that  I  would  have  to  seek  lodgings  in  one  of  the  ran- 
chos. The  servant  also  stated,  that  there  was  much  excite- 
ment with  the  people,  resulting  from  the  fact  of  two  mur- 
ders, that  had  been  committed  that  day,  near  Muleros.  I 
felt  perplexed  and  disappointed  in  not  being  decently  housed, 
for  I  had  never  yet  lodged  in  a  filthy  rancho. 

However,  there  was  one  other  good  building  at  the  place, 
from  which  a  well-dressed  young  Mexican  came  out,  and 
invited  me  to  accept  a  room  in  his  dwelling.  I  thanked 
him  for  the  offer,  which  I  accepted.  Mine  host  was  a  gay 
and  conversant  gentleman,  who  had  but  a  few  weeks  been 
wedded  to  a  bouncing  black-eyed  Mexican  girl.  He  in- 
formed my  interpreter  that  the  proprietor  of  Muleros  was  a 
very  inhospitable  man,  and  that  he  believed  that  he  had  a 
part  in  all  the  many  robberies  and  murders  which  happened 
in  that  quarter.  As  for  myself,  the  scape-gallows  look  of 
the  man  was  conclusive  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  as- 
sertion. 

In  the  morning  we  resumed  our  journey  in  good  spirits. 
My  interpreter  appeared  not  to  be  satisfied  with  the  arms 
with  which  I  had  furnished  him,  and  had  secured  some 
large  round  stones,  which  he  called  his  Paixham  balls,  which 
he  threatened  to  burst  against  the  administrador,  after  his 
shots  were  expended,  if  he  should  attack  us.  There  was  a 
small  and  rapid  stream,  that  flowed  through  the  dominions 
of  Muleros,  and  for  several  miles  from  its  banks  were  cot- 
ton-wood trees  of  handsome  growth,  pleasing  to  the  sight  of 
the  traveller  in  this  hot,  barren  and  thirsty  country. 

During  that  day  several  things  occurred  of  a  diverting 
18 


274 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


nature.  First,  in  passing  by  an  extensive  corn-field,  I  per- 
ceived up  a  distant  tree,  in  the  midst  of  the  corn,  a  nest, 
and,  as  I  really  imagined,  a  bird  in  it,  and  observed  to  my 
interpreter  that  there  was  the  largest  sopilotc  that  I  ever 
beheld.  He  laughed  heartily,  and  informed  me  that  it  was 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  Mexican  wrapped  in  his  sera- 
pi,  guarding  his  crop.  Crops  in  Mexico  are  watched  both 
day  and  night,  to  prevent  the  stock,  and  two-legged  thieves, 
from  molesting  it. 

Again,  we  had  not  proceeded  much  farther,  before  a  man 
came  galloping  up  to  us,  and  commenced  addressing  him- 
self to  me.  Upon  inquiring  of  my  interpreter  what  this  in- 
dividual wanted,  he  informed  me  that  the  countryman  had 
supposed  me  to  be  a  lawyer,  and  that  he  wanted  my  advice 
against  his  partner  in  a  cop  of  corn,  in  a  suit  for  damages. 
I  directed  him  to  say  to  the  man,  that  he  had  mistaken  my 
caUing,  but  that  Marcelino  had  been,  on  some  occasions, 
my  advocate,  and  he  might  do  well,  perhaps,  to  consult 
with  him.  The  man  thanked  me  for  the  intelligence,  and 
instantly  spurred  to  the  side  of  my  servant,  and,  for  several 
leagues,  the  client  and  counsellor  discussed  the  merits  of  the 
cause,  while  my  interpreter  rapidly  translated  the  conversa- 
tion for  me,  much  to  my  entertainment. 

The  suit  of  the  complainant,  and  the  decision  of  the  case 
by  Marcelino,  was  only  but  one  other  evidence,  to  me,  of 
the  entire  want  of  a  proper  understanding  of  right  and 
wrong  among  the  Mexicans.  Fraud  and  dishonesty  in 
transactions  are  so  prevalent  amongst  them,  that  they  have 
no  proper  conception  of  how  to  discriminate  justice  from 
injury:  and  in  their  honest  convictions  of  judgments,  as 
well  as  the  case  in  regard  to  Marcelino,  the  impossibility  of 
separating  low  cunning  and  chicanery  from  equity  is  a  task 
too  severe,  resulting  from  their  practices  and  habits  of 
thinking — ^just  in  the  same  manner,  as  it  is  said,  of  a  law- 
yer, who  has  long  appeared  for  the  commonwealth  of  any 
country,  that  his  judgment  is  so  biased  against  the  commis- 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  075 

sion  of  crime  that  he  cannot  be  convinced  that  any  are  in- 
nocent, or  that  there  are  any  palHating  circumstances  in 
their  favour  attending  the  acts  they  are  charged  with. 
Hence  it  is  that  mankind  has  to  mourn  under  a  heavy 
weight  of  civil  and  piously  bigoted  oppression,  perverting 
to  its  peculiar  uses  the  statutes  of  God,  the  broad  basis  of 
which  are  the  only  fundamental  principles  of  reason  and 
law. 

I  am  aware  that  travellers  often  see  things,  which,  to 
those  who  have  never  been  abroad,  are,  as  St.  Paul  says, 
"  hard  to  believe,"  and  hence  I  have  let  incidents  escape 
me  that  might  have  informed  and  entertained  the  minds  of 
many. 

To  those  who  have  seen  the  large  spurs  of  the  Mexicans, 
what  I  am  going  to  relate  will  not  seem  incredible.  The 
countryman,  having  finished  his  discourse,  put  off  in  full 
speed  to  find,  perhaps,  other  advisers.  But  one  of  my  ser- 
vants, being  wickedly  disposed,  started  after  him,  to  bring 
him  back  for  future  sport.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
he  came  back,  calling  lustily  for  help.  My  first  thoughts 
were,  that  some  banditti  had  made  their  appearance,  but, 
as  the  poor  man  rode  up  to  us,  I  soon  perceived  the  amount 
of  his  distress.  His  heels  were  confined  under  his  mule  by 
his  spurs  being  locked  together ;  the  long  rowel  of  the  right 
one  having  hooked  itself  to  the  chain  of  the  left,  that  hangs 
under  the  foot.  The  man  was  as  closely  united  to  his  ani- 
mal as  if  he  had  been  secured  by  lock  and  key ;  and  the 
little  machacho  was  not  altogether  out  of  distress,  for  the 
long  prongs  of  the  spur  were  continually  jading  him,  and 
it  could  not  be  told  when  the  tortured  creature  would  take 
fright,  and  perhaps  kill  its  rider.  Amid  the  shouts  and 
bursts  of  laughter  of  his  compeers  his  shackles  were  un- 
loosed, much  to  his  relief.  Such  occurrences,  my  inter- 
preter informed  me,  were  not  before  unknown,  for  he  had 
freed  others,  whom  he  had  overtaken  on  the  road,  who  had 
suffered  in  this  way  for  hours. 


2-75  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

My  journey,  for  the  most  of  this  day,  was  close  to,  and 
parallel  with  a  mountain,  from  whence  flowed  many  small 
streams.  The  sight  of  the  mountain-brooks  had  an  incon- 
ceivably delightful  aspect,  recalling  to  my  mind  the  cooling 
fountains  of  the  AUeghanies,  where  my  thirst  had  been  so 
often  satisfied  by  pure  water, — the  first,  the  second,  and  the 
third  of  these  streams  were,  in  their  turns,  stopped  at,  but 
with  no  satisfaction,  for  they  were  all  strongly  tinctured 
with  copperas,  deep  green  deposites  of  which  enveloped  the 
rocks,  and  covered  the  beds  of  the  streams.  As  I  could  not 
relieve  my  dried  and  parched  lips  with  the  water,  I  resolved 
at  least  to  wash  my  hands  and  face  in  it,  but  the  Mexicans 
making  so  many  objections  to  this,  I  desisted  for  their  sa- 
tisfaction. 

The  Mexicans  never  wash  when  travelling,  believing  it 
to  be  injurious  to  their  health,  and,  indeed,  they  object  to 
the  constant  use  of  water,  being  of  the  opinion  that  the  dirt 
on  their  faces  is  less  pernicious  than  the  diseases  engendered 
by  the  use  of  this  liquid  to  remove  it ;  this  being  a  tempe- 
rance carried  beyond  the  principles  of  the  societies  of  the 
United  States ;  and  thus  I  had  to  perish  in  the  midst  of 
plenty. 

It  was  my  intention  to  travel  that  day  as  far  as  La  Ponta, 
but  from  the  fatigue,  which  is  better  understood  by  those 
who  have  had  to  endure  it,  than  the  idea  can  be  conveyed 
by  description,  I  was  advised  by  my  interpreter  to  proceed 
no  farther  than  San  Causin,  which  place  was  then  discerni- 
ble, from  our  elevated  position,  some  three  leagues  from  us. 
With  our  quarters  in  view  our  pace  was  quickened,  for 
there  all  our  wants  were  to  be  supplied.  We  w^ere  thus 
progressing,  when,  suddenly,  we  discovered  six  men  ad- 
vancing in  front  of  us.  Overpowered  with  the  toils  of  the 
day,  J  thought  not,  and  cared  as  little,  of  dangers  that  might 
be  brooding,  and,  not  until  it  had  been  accomplished,  did  I 
perceive  that  my  servants  had  driven  my  animals  to  one 
side,  and  my  inter|)retcr  had  also  left  the  straight-forward 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  977 

road,  apprehending  some  evil,  as  the  advancing  party  were 
better  mounted  and  equipped  than  any  others  we  had  met. 

Not  having  acted  in  concert  with  the  movement  of  my 
men,  timorously  resolving  not  to  yield  a  foot,  I  passed  them, 
brushing  the  very  points  of  some  of  their  spears,  at  the 
same  time  holding  my  finger  on  the  trigger  of  my  double- 
barreled  gun,  as  it  lay  on  my  lap,  which  was  pointed  di- 
rectly at  them.  My  servants  all  stopped  to  witness  the  ren- 
contre, but  it  all  passed  away  by  hard  looks.  When  I 
rejoined  my  party,  my  interpreter  declared  that  he  had  ne- 
ver witnessed  so  fearless  an  experiment,  for  he  confidently 
believed  that  I  would  be  killed.  I  told  him  that  I  was  con- 
scious of  having  committed  no  act  of  rashness,  and  that,  in 
all  probability,  the  incident  had  saved  us  from  a  battle,  as 
the  party  we  met  were  no  travellers,  for  they  were  without 
animals,  or  baggage  of  any  kind. 

It  is  the  rule  in  Mexico,  for  the  weaker  party  always  to 
give  the  way.  Our  companies  were  equal ;  but,  as  I  had 
extra  animals,  I  certainly  was  entitled  to  the  road.  And  if 
armed  men,  who  are  not  travellers,  do  not  give  the  road,  it 
is  conclusive  evidence,  as  I  had  been  advised,  of  their  hos- 
tile intent.  We  arrived  in  safety  at  San  Causin,  a  hacienda 
campus.  The  water  was  good ;  the  tortillas,  the  frijoles, 
the  chili  and  the  stewed  mutton,  were  all,  to  a  hungry  man, 
delightful ;  and  sleep,  on  that  night,  was  never  more  refresh- 
ing. 

On  the  following  morning,  all  of  my  men  being  in  readi- 
ness to  recommence  the  journey,  which  was  that  day  to  put 
me  in  the  city  of  Durango,  I  gave  orders  that  all  of  our 
guns  and  pistols  should  be  discharged  and  reloaded,  which 
had  not  been  done  since  we  left  Zacatecas,  as  I  felt  desirous 
of  witnessing  the  performances  of  our  weapons.  The  vol- 
ley we  fired  was  equal  to  a  commandant's  salute,  as  we 
numbered  about  forty  rounds,  eighteen  of  which  were  from 
my  own  person  and  saddle. 

At  every  place  we  stopped,  accounts   of  murders   and 


O-vg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

robberies  were  detailed.  The  ladrones  of  Mexico  arc  like 
the  musquitoes  on  the  Mississippi,  the  people  saying  always 
that,  with  tiiem,  there  arc  few  if  any,  but  that  a  little  way 
beyond  they  become  very  plentiful.  I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty 
to  be  prepared,  at  whatsoever  place  it  might  befall  me  to 
meet  with  them,  and  we  prosecuted  our  journey.  We  had 
not  travelled  more  than  five  leagues  before  we  came  upon 
the  corpses  of  two  men,  who  had  been  murdered  the  day 
previous ;  one  of  them  appeared  to  have  come  to  his  end 
by  a  bullet — the  other  had  several  shocking  sabre  wounds. 

On  this  day  I  had  to  cross  the  same  river  twice.  The 
last  time  I  was  ferried  over  in  a  dug-out,  which  cost  me  one 
dollar  and  a  half,  though  my  animals  had  to  swim  across 
with  the  Mexican  who  drove  them.  I  had  then  travelled 
about  fourteen  hundred  miles  in  Mexico,  and  of  the  few  riv- 
ers that  I  had  seen,  none  of  them  was  above  a  moderate 
stone's  throw  across. 

The  country  over  w'hich  I  had  passed  was  thinly  covered 
with  musquite  growth,  and  some  cotton  wood ;  but,  upon 
being  landed  over  the  ferry,  I  was  upon  the  plain  of  Duran- 
go,  a  beautiful  level  country.  Although  the  table  land  was 
totally  divested  of  timber,  yet  the  mountains  of  Durango 
towered  with  the  pine,  the  cypress,  and  other  species  of 
trees ;  and,  near  to  the  city,  Mr.  Lakeman,  an  American,  is 
the  proprietor  of  an  iron  furnace. 

On  the  9th  instant,  at  nine  o'clock  at  night,  I  entered  the 
city  of  Durango,  and  put  up  at  the  De  la  Santa  Paula  me- 
son. The  following  morning,  being  Sunday,  I  determined 
that  I  would  rest,  being  much  fatigued  after  the  last  five 
days'  travel. 

I  did  not  take  my  breakfast  until  ten  o'clock,  which  being 
over,  I  felt  desirous  of  recreation  by  walking;  and,  having 
invited  my  interpreter  to  accompany  me,  I  entered  the 
streets,  for  a  promenade  in  the  Alemade,  if  I  could  find  it. 
The  meson  joined  a  largo  religious  edifice,  in  which  the 
inquisition  was  formerly  located.     It  is  called  De  Cadena 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


279 


Casa,  the  chain-house.  From  that  building,  for  some  few- 
days  in  tiie  year,  a  chain  was  extended  across  the  street, 
during  which  time,  if  any  individual  committed  any  offence 
or  crime  against  the  law,  and  he  could  lay  hands  upon 
that  chain,  before  arrested  by  the  legal  authorities,  he  esca- 
ped all  future  molestation  or  prosecution.  Thus  crime  was 
encouraged  through  the  instrumentality  of  religion.  This 
custom  had  its  origin  from  the  heathenish  sanctuary  institu- 
tions, but  it  has  been  abandoned  by  the  Christian  church, 
in  both  Europe  and  America. 

My  walk  extended  round  the  principal  plaza,  upon  the 
eastern  side  of  which  the  government  house  is  situated, 
where  all  the  public  business  is  transacted.  It  is  also  used 
as  a  garrison  for  the  army.  On  the  western  side  is  the  go- 
vernment palace,  the  residence  of  the  governor  and  general 
of  Durango.  My  way  was  then  directed  through  the  de 
Commercio  p/ata,  the  commercial  plaza,  where  all  kinds  of 
fruits,  provisions  and  merchandise  were  offered  for  sale — 
promiscuously  spread  upon  the  pavement;  and  in  such  places 
my  interpreter  informed  me  the  ladrone  vended  such  earn- 
ings as  he  desired  to  part  with. 

My  interpreter  took  a  fancy  to  a  handsome  gun,  in  the 
possession  of  a  very  poor  Mexican ;  and  he  said  that  he 
w^ould  prove  to  me  that  the  man  stole  it,  by  his  taking  one- 
third  of  its  value  for  it.  The  gun  I  supposed  to  be  worth 
twenty  dollars,  but  the  man,  after  some  jewing,  agreed  to 
take  ten. 

The  Alemade  of  the  city  of  Durango  was  as  lovely  and 
delightful  a  retreat  as  I  had  ever  in  my  life  enjoyed.  A 
grove  of  trees  shaded  its  clean  walks  and  seats,  whilst  a 
fountain  of  water  refreshed  and  cooled  the  atmosphere.  It 
is  located  between  the  Plaza  de  los  Torres  and  the  town, 
and  commanded  a  view  of  the  plain,  the  city,  and  the  ex- 
tended mountains  around,  and  a  more  picturesque  scene  I 
never  beheld.  The  Convento  of  the  patron  saint  of  the 
town  was  situated  upon  a  romantic  mound  of  earth  and 


2g0  TRAVELS    IX    MEXICO. 

Stone.  The  view  from  this  edifice  excels  the  imagination 
of  poet  and  artist,  and  exceeds  any  other  scene  of  the  kind 
ever  before  exhibited  to  my  view.  The  city  of  Durango 
appeared  to  cover  about  the  same  amount  of  space  as  the 
city  of  Mexico.  The  buildings  are  not  so  high,  but  are, 
otherwise,  not  less  in  dimensions. 

Durango  is  a  Bishopric,  and  the  two  high  steeples  of  the 
cathedral  towered  far  above  those  of  the  many  other  church- 
es and  convents  of  the  place. 

At  Durango  has  long  been  established  one  of  the  nine 
mints  belonging  to  the  government.  It  was  not  a  little  amu- 
sing to  see  my  Zacatecas  servants  comparing  the  coins  of 
their  own  city  with  those  of  Durango ;  while  one  of  them 
said,  satirically,  that  the  bird  on  the  Durango  coin  looked 
more  like  a  sopilote  (buzzard)  than  the  Mexican  eagle.  An- 
other responded  that  he  would  be  rejoiced  if  cither  of  the 
fowls  would  build  a  nest  in  his  pocket,  and  hatch  young 
ones  there.  The  inhabitants  of  Durango  were  fewer  than 
I  had  supposed,  judging  from  the  extent  of  the  city.  I  was 
informed  that  the  population  did  not  exceed  thirty  thou- 
sand. 

While  seated  under  a  shade,  in  a  retired  part  of  the  Ale- 
made,  my  tlioughts  were  interrupted  by  the  natives  actutilly 
stopping  to  gaze  at  me — and  casting  my  eyes  upward  to  the 
pure,  bright,  serene  expanse  of  heaven — for  scarcely  in  nine 
months  does  a  spot  of  cloud  as  big  as  a  man's  hand  appear 
in  the  skies  of  Mexico — then  beheld  the  mountains  subhme- 
ly  reaching  as  it  were  to  the  regions  of  upper  air — the  mas- 
sive compactness  of  a  large  city,  in  the  midst  of  the  plain 
beneath — the  solemnity  of  the  Mexican  countenance,  and 
tlic  profound  stillness  of  the  whole  scene ;  for  from  that 
vast  multitude  no  sounds  were  sent  up  to  break  the  sadness 
of  nature,  and  the  gloom  of  a  dense  town,  my  mind  was 
filled  with  a  pleasing  melancholy,  and  from  my  heart  I 
hojjcd  that  the  time  might  come  when  the  Mexicans  would 
be  happy !  when  the  veil  of  delusion  that  hangs  between 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  281 

them  and  that  independence  which  the  plastic  hand  of  their 
Creator  has  endowed  them  with,  would  be  split  in  twain ; 
when  their  judgment  would  be  untrammelled,  and  their  con- 
science no  longer  made  a  commerce  of!  then,  and  not  till 
then,  could  I  imagine  Mexico  to  be  free,  and  enjoy  the  tran- 
scendent beauties  and  bounties  of  nature  w^ith  which  she  has 
been  blessed.  For  I  am  persuaded  that  there  cannot  be 
civil,  w'ithout  religious  liberty;  apart,  they  are  a  mutual  aid 
to  each  other ;  united,  they  both  degenerate  and  sink  to  a 
wedded  corruption,  too  impure  for  the  respect  of  man,  and 
too  vile  to  be  acceptable  to  God  !  If  good  ever  came  out 
of  evil,  it  was  by  Tom  Paine's  works,  during  the  American 
revolution ;  and  if  glory  ever  covered  a  benefactor  of  the 
human  family,  it  was  w^hen  Thomas  Jefferson  first  set  the 
example  of  dissolving  the  union  of  church  and  state,  and 
penned,  for  the  constitution  of  Virginia,  the  declaration  of 
independence  and  the  liberty  of  conscience. 

The  great  silence  that  prevails  in  Mexican  towns  is  re- 
markable, when  the  church  bells  are  not  ringing,  and  from 
the  garrison  the  clang  of  the  trumpet-horn  is  no  longer 
blown.  From  twelve  to  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  all 
is  still,  and  from  a  distance  no  sound  is  heard ;  and,  in  fact, 
in  the  hot  valleys,  and  on  the  coasts,  the  dooi's  of  the  houses 
are  all  locked,  and  the  inhabitants  so  wrapped  in  sleep  that 
a  traveller  might  ride  through  the  streets  of  a  town  without 
seeing  a  human  being. 

The  city  of  Durango  had,  in  the  month  previous  to  my 
arrival,  suffered  a  heavy  calamity,  which  resulted  in  the 
serious  damage,  more  or  less,  and  the  ruin  of  four  hundred 
houses.  The  cause  of  this  destruction  of  property  had  its 
origin  from  the  heavy  rains  that  had  fallen,  which  had  so 
saturated  the  sun-burnt  bricks,  that  the  crumbling  walls 
were  not  able  to  support  the  roofs,  and  of  course  they  tum- 
bled in.  It  was  not  in  the  knowledge  of  any  one  that,  in 
in  the  month  of  January,  it  should  rain,  and  none  of  the  in- 
habitants had  ever  experienced  in  the  wet  season  so  great 


282 


TRAVELS     IN     MEXICO. 


and  continued  a  fall  of  wafer  as  came  so  unexpectedly  upon 
them.  The  sudden  rise  of  the  streams  and  small  rivers  was 
so  rapid  as  to  do  much  damage  to  the  haciendas,  as  also  to 
drown  stock,  and  wash  down  houses. 

On  my  return  to  the  meson,  my  servant  brought  me  my 
dinner,  and  while  myself  and  interpreter  were  eating,  two 
gentlemen  entered  the  room,  one  of  whom  introduced  him- 
self to  me  as  Mr.  James  Moore,  an  American,  from  the 
State  of  Tennessee ;  the  other  was  an  Englishman,  whose 
name  I  have  lost.  The  latter  individual  appeared  to  have 
been  indulging  too  freely  that  day,  and  as  we  were  all  seat- 
ed, and  I  was  finishing  my  dinner,  I  happened  to  look  to- 
wards the  Englishman,  who  I  perceived  had  my  large  rifle 
pistol  in  his  hands,  with  the  muzzle  pointed  immediately  at 
my  head,  for  I  could  see  down  into  the  barrel,  while  his  fin- 
ger was  pulling  at  the  hammer.  I  politely  informed  him 
what  he  was  doing,  and  requested  that  he  would  turn  the 
weapon  in  another  direction,  or  else  lay  it  down ;  he  replied 
that  he  had  never  killed  any  one,  and  well  understood  the 
use  of  arms.  Thinking  that  the  man  would  have  some  re- 
gard for  what  I  said,  I  continued  my  repast  of  lettuce 
and  stew ;  but  no  sooner  had  I  taken  my  eyes  from  him 
than  I  heard  the  snap  of  the  pistol,  and  without  thought  I 
sprung  from  my  seat,  while  the  first  self  consciousness  I 
possessed  was,  that  I  had  wrested  the  heavy  weapon  from 
his  hand,  and  had  it  uplifted  in  the  air  above  his  head.  So 
pending  was  the  fatal  blow,  that  my  poised  arm  seemed  to 
tremble  over  him,  on  the  verge  of  the  almost  impossible 
checking  of  the  deadly  fall.  The  terrified  man  sat  motion- 
less and  speechless  for  a  lime,  and  then,  to  my  satisfaction, 
left  the  room ;  for  in  turns  each  of  us  had  been  on  the  brink 
of  eternity.  I  never  knew  that  pistol,  before  or  since,  fail 
to  explode  a  cap,  and  would  not  for  the  world  that  the  same 
experiment  should  happen.  After  some  hours  the  English- 
man returned,  and,  in  his  apologies  for  what  had  taken 
place,  thanked  me  for  his  life,  and  the  lesson  I  had  taught  him. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  283 

On  Monday  morning,  the  11th  inst.,  feeling  sufficiently 
refreshed  for  business,  I  looked  over  my  letters,  and  found 
that  all  were  in  my  possession  but  one,  addressed  to  Mr. 
Germain  Stalknit,  a. German  by  birth,  and  a  gentleman  who 
had  been  highly  recommended  to  mo  as  a  high-minded  and 
honourable  man.  Such  was  the  character  of  Mr.  S.,  that 
notwithstanding  I  had  mislaid  or  lost  his  letter,  I  determined 
to  make  him  a  visit,  and  introduce  myself  to  him,  and  for 
this  purpose  I  procured  a  guide  to  conduct  me  to  his  house. 

On  entering  the  great  door  of  his  palace,  for  palace  in- 
deed it  was,  if  splendour  and  large  dimensions  can  consti- 
tute such  a  thing,  I  was  shown  a  door  to  the  right  hand, 
and  upon  going  to  it,  I  perceived  two  gentlemen  engaged  in 
the  endless  employment  (in  Mexico)  of  counting  dollars  and 
weighing  gold.  One  of  them,  who  proved  to  be  the  gen- 
tleman I  was  desirous  of  seeing,  without  my  having  first 
spoken,  said,  "Doctor  Gilliam,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  be 
seated,  and  when  my  brother  and  self  have  finished  our  pre- 
sent engagement,  I  shall  be  happy  to  converse  with  you." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  accomplished  gentleman  again 
turned  to  me,  and  I  in  my  turn  addressed  him,  by  saying, 
that  it  was  true  he  had  given  me  my  right  appellation,  but 
that  I  was  a  person  whom  he  had  never  seen :  to  w  hich  he 
replied,  "  Are  you  not  Doctor  Gilliam,  United  States  Consul 
to  Monterey?"  To  his  surprise,  I  informed  him  that  I  was 
the  brother  of  the  individual  he  had  mistaken  me  for.  It 
was  all  the  same  with  the  two  German  gentlemen,  for  they 
seemed  to  be  as  cordial  and  familiar  with  me,  as  if  we  had 
been  intimate  all  our  lives. 

I  acquainted  Mr.  S.  of  my  having  once  been  in  possession 
of  a  letter  addressed  to  him  from  Zacatecas;  but  that  on  that 
morning  I  was  unable  to  lay  my  hand  upon  it.  I  then  pre- 
sented him  the  letters  I  have  before  mentioned,  and  his  po- 
liteness induced  him  to  proffer  his  services  in  handing  them 
to  the  individuals  to  whom  they  were  directed.  It  proved 
that  Senor  Don  Fernando  Ramires  was  the  brother-in-law 


2Q4  TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 

of  Mr.  Germain  Stalknit.  He  insisted  that  I  should  dine 
with  him  tliat  day,  and  said  he  would  accompany  me  in  the 
evening  to  Don  Fernando's,  and  from  thence  to  the  Govern- 
ment Palace. 

Such  hospitality  to  a  stranger,  old  Virginia  like,  can  but 
be  gratefully  felt.  I  have  heard  the  selfish  object  to  extend- 
ing kindness  to  the  unknown,  whom  chance  or  business  may 
have  thrown  in  their  towns  or  country,  as  if  the  world  was 
made  alone  for  them.  By  a  liberal  state  of  society,  the 
stranger  receives  a  benefit,  while  those,  who  in  duty  bestow 
it,  are  done  no  injury ;  and  if  time  should  prove  that  he  was 
unworthy  of  attention,  there  is  yet  a  pleasing  reflection, 
that  the  subject  has  received  a  lesson  in  politeness,  and  per- 
haps is  thereby  instigated  to  refrain  from  evil  company  and 
bad  deeds,  and  reform  his  manners.  No  well-bred  commu- 
nity will  slight,  or  indifferently  treat  an  apparent  gentleman, 
who  in  reality  is  as  good  as  themselves.  However,  high 
life  below  stairs  sometimes  exposes  itself,  and  is  subjected 
to  reproach,  when  otherwise  it  might  have  done  honour  to 
itself,  at  least  have  nothing  lost. 

Dinner  being  over,  Mr.  S.  conducted  me  to  the  dwelling 
of  Scuor  Don  Fernando  Ramires.  My  friend,  without  ce- 
remony, entered  the  house,  and  I  at  once  perceived  that  the 
large  and  elegant  establishment  was  well  furnished,  being 
much  in  tht)  style  of  the  houses  in  the  United  States,  the 
chairs  and  sofas  perhaps  having  been  imported  thence  by 
the  way  of  Mazetlan.  It  happened  that  the  proprietor  was 
not  in,  and  Mr.  S.  said  that  he  would  take  the  liberty  of 
showing  me  the  library  of  the  ex-Deputy. 

I  accepted  the  invitation,  and  was  conducted  to  a  large 
room,  not  under  thirty  feet  long,  by  twenty  feet  broad  and 
in  height.  It  was  filled  all  around,  from  floor  to  ceiling,  as 
my  friend  informed  me,  -with  Spanish  law  books. 

On  a  large  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  lay  piles  of 
documents,  besides  the  open  authors  of  his  recent  consulta- 
tion.    Having  looked  in  the  face  of  many  of  the  old  volumes 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO, 


285 


which  I  could  not  understand,  I  was  invited  into  an  adjoin- 
ing apartment,  much  larger,  containing  a  greater  number  of 
folios.  Mr.  Stalknit  related,  that  that  was  his  general  libra- 
ry, and  contained  works  upon  every  branch  of  learning,  and 
of  several  languages. 

Fernando  Ramires  was  certainly  a  great  man,  and  a 
patriot,  and  as  an  evidence  of  his  purity  and  good  sense,  he 
had  that  year  resigned  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Deputies,  to 
which  he  had  been  elected  for  many  years,  publicly  assign- 
ing as  his  reason,  which  was  much  for  any  man  to  do,  at 
that  time,  in  Mexico,  that  he  could  no  longer  consent  to 
serve  under  a  usurping  Dictator,  who  had  trampled  the  con- 
stitution under  his  feet,  and,  by  force  of  arms,  driven  the 
deputies  from  their  seats. 

If  the  people  of  Mexico  knew  how  to  enjoy  and  maintain 
their  liberties,  such  a  civilian  as  Ramires  would  receive 
their  suffrages  as  President,  instead  of  their  supporting,  by 
their  bayonets,  a  throne  for  ambitious  military  chieftains. 
But  the  libraries  and  wealth  of  this  good  man  were  not  the 
most  valuable  of  his  possessions,  for  he  was  the  father  of  a 
lovely  and  accomplished  daughter,  who  could  fluently  con- 
verse in  French  and  English  as  well  as  in  Spanish.  Her 
education  and  refinement,  obtained  by  dint  of  application, 
were  of  the  first  order,  and  would  have  made  her  pre-emi- 
nently attractive  in  any  country. 

Our  conversation  and  examination  of  books  delayed  us 
until  the  honourable  lawyer  entered  his  study.  Upon  being 
introduced  to  him,  his  manly  and  dignified  bearing  came  up 
to  every  thing  I  had  imagined  of  a  man  of  his  character. 
He  had  a  round  full  bust,  full  face,  eyes  that  sparkled  with 
genius,  high  forehead,  a  little  bald ;  his  stature  was  about 
the  common  height.  I  conversed  with  him  on  the  subject 
of  legal  business,  for  which  he  positively  refused  any  remu- 
neration. He  gave  me  written  instructions  how  to  proceed, 
and  requested  that  I  should  let  him  immediately  know,  if  I 
required  future  aid. 


2gg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

He  informed  nic,  through  ]\Ir.  S.,  who  acted  as  our  mu- 
tual interpreter,  that  he  was  studying  the  English  language, 
and  showed  me  a  copy  of  Marshall's  Life  of  Washington, 
and  the  Federalist,  in  English.  He  said  he  was  desirous  of 
knowing  what  was  the  best  history  of  the  United  States,  and 
I  had  the  mortification  of  replying  that  there  were  none  of 
the  many  histories  of  the  country  considered  the  best,  and 
that  its  history  was  yet  imbedded  in  the  archives  of  the 
United  States  papers,  as  well  as  the  lives  of  the  prominent 
men.  I  told  him,  that  so  far  as  I  was  informed,  the  future 
historian  had  to  bear  off  the  palm  of  having  written  the  best 
history  of  the  Union.  He  seemed  very  desirous  of  obtain- 
ing information  of  my  country,  and  asked  me  many  ques- 
tions appertaining  to  it.  The  evening  having  been  con- 
sumed at  Sen.  Don  Fernando's,  my  visit  to  the  Governor 
was  deferred  until  the  next  morning. 

That  night,  after  my  return  to  my  quarters,  the  keeper  of 
the  meson  gave  me  warning  of  the  Alicrans,  a  species  of 
scorpion,  and  how  to  elude  their  sting.  The  lodger  must, 
previous  to  his  reposing,  tuck  all  the  bed  clothing  under 
the  mattress  of  his  cartera,'  so  that  none  of  them  may  touch 
the  floor  for  the  venomous  reptile  to  crawl  upon.  No  por- 
tion of  the  bed  must  touch  the  walls  of  the  room,  and  the 
individual  must  sleep  with  his  entire  head  and  body  covered, 
to  prevent  the  fall  of  the  insect  from  the  ceiling. 

The  alicran  is  of  a  reddish  complexion,  and  about  the 
size  and  shape  of  a  small  lizard.  Its  legs  are  like  those  of 
a  spider,  and  at  the  point  of  its  tail  is  a  short  curved  sting, 
not  longer  than  that  of  a  bee.  No  sooner  does  he  touch  a 
human  being,  than  he  hooks  him  with  this  poisonous  weapon, 
always  fatal,  at  Durango,  to  children,  and  most  painfully 
distressing  to  grown  persons;  producing  a  delirium,  and 
violent  spasmodic  afTections,  with  frothing  at  the  mouth. 
The  alicran  is  more  poisonous  at  Durango  than  in  any  other 
portion  of  Mexico.     This  fact  cannot  be  attributed  to  any 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ogl 

known  cause,  unless  it  should  be  from  the  mineral  of  the 
earth  it  lives  in. 

I  was  informed  that  there  are  families  in  Durango,  wlio 
make  their  subsistence  by  catching  these  insects,  the  go- 
vernment paying  them  a  premium  for  each  one  destro3'cd. 
After  night  the  alicran  catcher  passes  along  the  street  with 
a  torch  in  his  hand,  and  the  little  reptile  runs  out  of  his  cre- 
vice, attracted  by  the  light ;  but  he  no  sooner  appears,  than 
he  is  struck  from  the  wall  by  a  brush,  and  as  soon  as  he 
touches  the  pavement,  a  handful  of  sand  is  thrown  upon 
him,  when  the  expert  catcher  dexterously  picks  him  up  and 
extracts  his  sling;  after  which  he  deposits  him  in  a  bottle 
alive,  and  receives  his  reward  from  the  proper  authority. 
Citizens,  who  wish  it,  have  to  pay  extra  for  the  search  of 
their  rooms. 

On  the  12th  instant,  I  had  the  honour  of  being  presented 
to  Cesmo  Sir  Gobernador  y  Commandant  General  D  Jose 
Antonio  Heridia.  The  governor  was  a  fine  looking,  intel- 
ligent gentleman,  and  received  me  with  much  courtesy.  I 
did  myself,  on  this  occasion,  the  distinction  of  showing  the 
general  an  American  uniform.  After  some  conversation,  I 
retired,  leaving  him  uninterrupted  in  his  multifarious  public 
duties.  From  the  government  house  I  went  to  that  of  Mr. 
John  Belden,  an  American,  of  the  city  of  New  York,  who 
had  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  that  day.  Mr.  B.  had  been 
successful  in  business,  and  had  accumulated  a  large  fortune; 
and  whether  or  not  to  please  himself  or  the  Mexicans,  I 
cannot  say,  he  often  wore  costly  diamond  jevvcls,  and  hence 
he  was  called  the  Prince  of  Diamonds. 

The  people  of  the  city  of  Durango,  both  foreign  and  na- 
tive, seemed  to  be  of  a  better  order  than  any  others  I  had 
seen  in  all  Mexico.  This,  possibly  might  result  from  the 
circumstance  of  having  such  men  as  Ramires  residing 
amongst  them.  The  Bishop  of  Durango,  also,  was  the  only 
pious  man  that  I  heard  of  during  all  my  travels  in  that 


288 


TRAVELS  IN  MEXICO. 


country.  His  name,  I  regret  to  say,  has  been  lost  with 
otliers  Iroin  among  niy  papers. 

This  celebrated  and  beloved  Bishop  is  said  to  be  truly  re- 
ligious. I  was  informed  by  a  distinguished  citizen  that,  sa- 
cred to  his  vow,  he  never  had  a  female  to  enter  his  house,  and 
that  all  of  his  servants  were  men  ;  a  fact  unknown  in  rela- 
tion to  any  other  clergyman  in  the  country.  His  father  con- 
fessor accompanied  him  on  every  occasion,  and  regularly, 
three  times  a  day,  he  made  confession. 

The  Bishop  was  a  man  of  deep  sympathies  and  sensibili- 
ties, which  was  evinced  by  his  grief  at  the  death  of  an 
American,  J.  V.  Crannell,  M.  D.,  for  whom  he  had  a  high 
regard.  It  is  said  that  the  good  man  sat  daily  by  the  bed- 
side of  the  doctor,  and,  upon  his  decease,  gave  special  di- 
rections for  his  funeral  ceremonies.  I  was  informed  they 
were  very  splendid,  and  it  required  two  days  to  do  the  hon- 
ours to  the  dead.  The  worthy  Bishop  did  not  himself,  how- 
ever, partake  of  this  ostentation  ;  but,  with  great  distress, 
for  thirty  days  confined  himself  to  his  room,  suffering  no 
one  but  his  confessor  to  come  into  his  presence.  The  pious 
man  is  much  respected,  and  feared  by  his  clergy  and  laity. 
The  priests,  on  the  other  hand,  take  good  care  to  buy  in- 
dulgences to  live  with  their  unmaiTied  wives.  It  should  not 
be  astonishing  that,  with  such  highly  honourable  men  as 
Ramires,  and  the  Christian  Bishop,  the  morals  and  manners 
of  a  community  should  be  improved. 

At  Durango  there  is  one  college,  having  foreign  and  na- 
tive professors.  The  public  school  system,  as  regulated  by 
law  in  the  department,  I  very  much  admired,  as  being  the 
only  one  perhaps  by  which  to  compel  education  upon  the 
people.  They  are  taxed  for  the  support  of  the  schools, 
upon  the  more  perfect  plan  of  the  Prussian  district  system, 
and  it  is  made  the  imi)crative  duty  of  every  teacher  to  re- 
port to  the  Alcalde  each  parent  or  guardian,  who  has  chil- 
dren of  six  years  of  age  and  upwards,  who  neglects  to  send 
them  to  school. 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO:.  289 

The  parent  or  guardian,  as  the  case  may  be,  is  then  sum- 
moned to  appear  before  the  court,  to  show  good  cause  why 
he  does  not  send  his  children  to  school ;  and,  failing  to  do 
so,  is  fined,  or  punished  by  imprisonment,  until  his  child  is 
permitted  to  enjoy  its  privilege  and  natural  right.  Would 
that  the  laws  of  some  of  the  States  of  the  Union  would  thus 
compel  unkind  parents  to  educate  their  offspring,  who  are 
provided  for  by  the  law  of  the  land,  but  are  refused  the  boon 
by  hard-hearted  and  unnatural  parents. 

My  stay  in  the  city  of  Durango  was  but  four  days,  when 
much  to  my  regret  I  had  to  exchange  my  American  dress 
for  the  Mexican  jaceti,  a  roundabout  jacket.  Long-tailed 
or  frock  coats  are  never  worn,  excepting  at  the  capital,  or 
by  foreigners ;  and,  as  a  gentleman  informed  me,  if  a  man 
should  be  seen  riding  in  any  other  apparel  than  that  of  a  ja- 
ceti and  leather  pants,  he  would  be  looked  upon  as  a  mon- 
ster, and  accordingly  almost  stoned  to  death.  It  is  very 
important  to  conform  to  Mexican  costume,  both  to  gratify 
Mexican  vanity,  as  also  to  disguise  yourself  as  a  native,  for 
the  traveller  cannot  know  when  he  may  hear  the  exclama- 
tion, "  Death  to  all  foreigners  !"  The  handy  and  comforta- 
ble little  jacket  I  did  not  at  all  regard,  but  it  was  the  heavy 
weight  of  iron  and  steel  with  which  I  was  obliged  to  en- 
cumber myself  and  saddle  ;  for  to  my  belt  was  a  powder- 
flask,  a  bag  of  bullets,  two  six  and  one  single  barrel  pistols, 
a  bowie-knife  and  a  sword  ;  while  looped  to  the  horn  of  my 
saddle  was  a  double-barrel  gun,  holsters  with  two  pistols, 
and  my  nine  inch  barrel  rifle  pistol,  hanging  to  my  right,  on 
the  skirt  of  my  saddle. 

Such  a  formidable  display  of  weapons  might  appear  sav- 
age and  intently  bad  in  any  other  country,  but  such  are  the 
customs  of  Mexico;  and  notwithstanding  I  fell  short  of  the 
full  complement  of  twenty-six  rounds ;  yet,  as  it  was  my 
intention  never  to  surrender  "  like  a  gentleman,"  as  the  la- 
drones  have  it,  I  felt  desirous  to  be  as  well  prepared  for  bat- 
tle as  the  best  of  them  ;  or,  as  my  interpreter  often  expressed 
19 


jjQ/i  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

himself,  "  it   looked    so   respectable,  for  a  Mexican  would 
never  deic^n  to  take  his  hat  ofl'  to  a  traveller  unarmed." 

As  in  the  journey  before  me  I  should  be  often  obliged  to 
bivouac  in  the  open  air,  I  had  provided  myself  with  a  tent, 
as  also  an,additional  supply  of  London  pickled  salmon,  and 
ham,  crackers  and  jerked  beef.  At  Durango  I  was  advised 
to  employ  a  guide,  as  no  one  could  find  the  way  to  Canales, 
excepting  those  who  had  travelled  the  mountains.  I  did  not 
discharge  my  interpreter  here,  for  the  reason  that  I  found 
no  serious  complaint  to  lodge  against  him,  and  for  fear  that 
in  an  exchange  I  might  not  obtain  a  better  one. 

The  ffovernor  of  Durango  having  furnished  me  with  let- 
ters  to  the  Alcalde  of  Canales,  and  the  prefect  of  Tamazu- 
la,  recommending  them  to  forward  me  in  all  of  my  designs, 
and  all  other  necessary  preparations  having  been  made,  I 
gave  the  order,  bamanos,  (let  us  go,)  a  word  always  used 
for  the  signal  of  departure,  and  took  up  my  line  of  march 
to  Cacario.  My  friend,  Mr.  Stalk  nit,  had  at  that  time  des- 
patched ten  loads  of  silver  for  Mazatlan,  and  I  was  recom- 
mended to  join  company  with  the  conductor  of  it,  which  I 
did ;  and  although  his  men  were  all  armed  well,  with  the 
exception  of  a  boy,  who  carried  a  gun  without  a  lock,  yet 
I  cannot  say  that  I  considered  it  altogether  prudent ;  for, 
while  I  might  be  of  assistance  to  him,  the  money  he  had  in 
charge  was  a  superinducement  for  the  attack  of  marauding 
parties. 

While  at  Durango,  the  two  brothers,  Stalknits,  invited  me 
to  a  ride  of  two  miles  in  the  country,  to  visit  their  cotton 
factory.  The  buildings  of  their  establishment  were  as  com- 
modious as  any  others  I  had  seen  of  the  kind  in  the  Union, 
working  twenty  thousand  spindles,  and  their  complement  of 
looms.  The  yarns  of  the  factory  were  all  wove  into  fa- 
brics, with  the  exception  of  thread  for  sewing  purposes. 
The  conductors  of  the  manufacturing  department  -were  all 
New  Englanders. 

A  young  lady  who  had  been  engaged  at  tliat  factory  for 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ggj 

the  last  six  years  was  desirous  of  returning  home,  and  re- 
quested that  if  I  should  again  take  Durango  in  my  way  to 
the  United  States,  that  I  should  be  her  protector !  My  gal- 
lantry would  not  permit  me  to  refuse,  and  I  assured  her  that 
it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  me  to  play  the  part  of  knight-er- 
rant on  her  dangerous  voyage  home. 

The  wife  of  the  principal  superintendent,  a  lady  of  much 
intelligence,  seemed  to  be  very  desirous  of  visiting  her  na- 
tive country.  She  was  a  woman  who  had  seen  trouble,  for 
she  informed  me  that  the  only  infant  of  her  bosom,  of  two 
years  of  age,  upon  having  departed  this  life,  was  refused 
the  rites  of  burial,  for  the  reason  of  its  not  having  received 
Catholic  baptism  ;  which  fact  I  do  not  consider  egregiouar, 
as  the  creeds  of  some  of  the  Protestant  denominations  deny 
to  children  admittance  into  heaven  under  any  circumstan- 
ces ;  when  Christ  himself  has  said,  "  Suffer  little  children  to 
coms  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  But 
I  will  not  dispute  with  priests.  I  will  rather  take  the  word 
of  God,  for  I  believe  in  the  doctrine,  "  Let  every  man  be  a 
liar,  so  God  be  true." 

The  infant  was  preserved  in  a  lead  coffin,  and  deposited 
under  her  bed,  until  the  period  should  arrive  when  she  should 
lay  it  by  the  side  of  her  kindred. 


292  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER   XYII. 


Journey  commenced.  Camino  Real.  Cacaiio.  Dining  and  sleeping.  Se])aralion  from  tlie 
conductor.  Splendid  view  of  the  valley  Gnatemepe.  Animals  feeding  on  tlie  plain. 
Distance  on  the  table-land  deceiving.  Despatched  my  guide  to  secme  lodgings.  Countes.i 
of  Guatemepe.  Her  hospitality.  Prayers  and  a  dance.  Departure  for  Chinacates.  Indian 
news.  Dissatisfaction  wiUi  my  interpreter.  My  guide's  rebellion.  Disagreeable  journey. 
Arrival  at  Chinacale.<;.  Six-barrel  pistols.  Kidge  of  the  mountain.  Conversed  with  an 
Englishman.  Mexican  arlizans.  A  New  Englander.  Difgraceful  transaction.  Santa 
Argo.  Indians  committing  depredations.  Reflections.  Solicitude  for  my  men.  Conver- 
sation with  my  interpreter.  San  Dilla.  An  old  Mexican  account  of  the  Indians.  Excite- 
ment in  the  village.  My  servant  Marcelino.  Advice  of  friends.  My  own  deportment. 
Several  small  villages.  Two  mountains.  Want  of  men  at  Catarine.  Indians  who  had  killed 
many  travellers.  Six  mules  loaded  with  dead  men.  Boca  the  mouth.  Notice  not  to  pro- 
ceed farther.  Some  days  delay  at  the  Boca.  Departure  from  the  Boca.  Madre  Monies. 
Sejiaration  from  company.  Bivouac.  Battle  at  night.  March  for  Canales.  Recovered 
from  injuries.  Battle  in  the  day.  Death  of  an  Indian.  None  of  my  men  killed.  Pursued 
myjoiniiey.  Mountain  scenery  and  travelling.  Early  history  of  the  country.  Frost. 
Reach  Canales.  Curiosities  and  freaks  of  nature.  The  Madre  Montes.  Despatched  my 
guide  to  engage  lodgii.,".  Di.^appointmeiit.  Stake  my  tent.  My  interpreter  complains. 
His  suspicious.  Proposition  to  me.  My  refusal.  Buckled  oh  my  In  It.  Fell  asleep.  Jlar- 
celino.  The  ascent  of  tiie  next  mountain.  Dreadful  suspicion  of  my  interpreter.  Stu- 
pendous scenes  of  nature.  AVliite  bear.  A  mountain  that  overlooked  the  others.  Like 
Balboa  beheld  the  Pacific.  Extensive  sublimity.  Distant  view  of  Canales.  Two  little 
boys.      Departed  brother. 


My  journey,  or  trouble,  I  would  rather  say,  was  com- 
menced on  the  15th  inst.,  by  crossing  first  a  low  rocky 
mountain,  and  then  another  of  no  better  travelling  condi- 
tion, which  consumed  one  half  of  the  day.  When  we  land- 
ed upon  the  plain  of  Cacario,  I  found-  it  to  be  so  perfectly 
level,  that  the  caiyiino  real,  (the  principal  road,)  was  often, 
for  a  mile  at  a  time,  full  of  water ;  while  the  land  generally 
was  boggy.  At  one  o'clock,  under  a  large  cotton-wood 
tree,  that  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  plain,  I  stopped  to 
"  noon  it." 

While  partaking  of  some  refreshments  I  despatched  Mar- 
celino to  a  rancho  close  by  for  water,  but  on  the  way  his 
animal  was  bogged,  and  it  was  with  dilliculty  extricated. 
But  what  was  of  more  serious  distress  to  me  was,  that  in 
the  catastrophe  my  servant  broke  one  of  two  bottles  of 
brandy  I  had  purchased  at  Durango,  at  the  dear  rate  of  two 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  293 

dollars  each.  The  brandy  I  expected  to  have  found  a  re- 
storative in  my  moments  of  excessive  thirst  and  fatigue,  as 
also  a  pleasant  medicine  in  times  of  indisposition — but  as 
the  old  adage  has  it — "  there  is  many  a  slip  between  the 
cup  and  the  lip."  It  was  not  until  after  sun-down  that  I  ar- 
rived at  the  meson  of  the  Hacienda  campus  Cacario.  The 
conductor  reached  our  quarters  first,  and  upon  my  dismount- 
ing, I  was  glad  to  see  that  dinner  was  in  preparation.  Af- 
ter we  had  satisfied  our  hunger  we  commenced  preparing 
for  sleep.  As  there  were  no  seats  in  our  room,  bags  of 
money  supplied  their  places,  but  my  cartera  being  made  up, 
I  soon  stretched  myself  upon  it,  whilst  the  old  conductor 
extended  himself  across  the  only  door  in  the  room. 

The  following  morning  we  made  an  early  start,  and  about 
mid- day,  having  arrived  at  a  high  rolling  country,  the  con- 
ductor and  myself  parted ;  my  having  to  take  the  right- 
hand,  for  Guatemepe,  while  he  turned  to  the  left.  After 
travelling  until  about  three  o'clock,  over  a  low  mountainous 
region,  we  hove  in  view  of  a  level  country,  which,  for  the 
extent  of  landscape,  and  lake-scenery,  was  as  sublime  in 
appearance  as  the  valley  of  Mexico. 

To  our  right,  a  lake  for  many  miles  skirted  the  mountain, 
having  arms  of  water  jutting  from  the  main  surface,  like 
bays  from  a  miniature  sea ;  while  far  in  the  plain,  at  some 
ten  or  twelv^e  miles  in  distance,  sat  the  casa  grande,  and  the 
ranches  of  the  hacienda  campus  of  Guatemepe. 

For  a  season  I  enjoyed  the  prospect  of  hundreds  of  ani- 
mals feeding  upon  the  plain,  and  drinking  the  water  of 
the  lake :  but  the  desire  of  resting  from  the  toils  of  the  day 
urged  me  forward  to  reach  the  great  house,  where  I  might 
indulge  in  sweet  repose.  And  so  anxious  did  I  become, 
with  my  quarters  in  sight,  that  it  did  seem  that  the  more  I 
travelled  the  less  I  approached  the  object  of  my  mark, 
as  if  deluded  by  enchantment.  Distance,  upon  the  table- 
lands of  Mexico,  is  as  deceiving,  if  not  more  so,  as  upon 
water.     The  highly  rarified  state  of  the  atmosphere,  in  the 


294  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

elevated  regions  of  country  enables  the  beholder  to  see  with 
a  distinctness  objects  that  are  far  remote,  in  a  manner  un- 
known iji  the  latitudes  of  the  United  States.  Travellers, 
who  are  careful  of  their  eyes,  upon  the  plains  wear  gog- 
gles, to  prevent  the  continued  strain  of  looking  through  the 
vast  space,  as  well  as  to  break  the  force  of  the  periodical 
south-west  winds,  as  also  the  rays  and  reflection  of  the  sun. 

At  a  proper  period,  I  despatched  my  guide  to  secure  me 
lodgings,  to  the  Conde  of  Guatemep6,  for  I  had  no  idea  of 
stopping  at  the  ranches  if  I  could  help  myself  to  better  ac- 
commodations. As  I  approached  the  house,  my  servant 
returned  and  informed  me  that  the  countess  had  refused  to 
receive  me,  owing  to  her  lord  being  from  home,  and  could 
not  entertain  company :  however,  in  another  moment,  I  re- 
ceiv^ed  a  messenger  who  said  that  his  mistress  had  consent- 
ed, as  an  especial  favour,  that  I  should  put  up  at  her  casa 
grande.  I  have  before  used  the  titles  of  nobility  common 
in  Mexico,  and  here  I  will  remark,  once  for  all,  that  they 
are  now  only  a])plicd  as  a  courteous  compliment,  and  not  as 
a  matter  of  right. 

Wealth,  in  Mexico,  is  sufficiently  respectable  and  power- 
ful, without  the  dignity  of  names,  bestowed  on  her  former 
nobles.  The  countess  was  a  lovely  and  hospitable  woman, 
of  between  twenty  and  thirty  years  of  age.  She  furnished 
me  with  a  handsome  apartment,  where  I  feasted  upon  the 
good  things  of  my  own  store  and  her  supplies.  There  was 
other  company  at  the  castle  besides  myself,  and,  at  the  toll- 
ing of  the  oration,  by  the  bell  of  the  church,  which  was  a 
part  of  the  same  building,  prayers  were  said,  and  then  the 
guitar  and  a  dance  were  introduced,  which  lasted  until 
eleven  o'clock,  when  all  retired  to  rest. 

From  Guatemepe  I  resumed  my  journey  on  the  following 
morning  for  Chinacates,  distant  about  forty  miles.  My  di- 
rection, the  most  of  the  day,  was  over  a  continued  range  of 
low  mountains,  leaving  the  great  and  extensive  valley  of 
Guatemepe  to  the  right.     For  several   minor  reasons,  I  had 


TRAVELS    [N   MEXICO.  nQ^ 

from  the  time  of  my  departure  from  Durango,  become  dis- 
satisfied with  my  interpreter;  but  I  said  nothing  to  him  un- 
til I  had  some  strong  suspicions  of  the  unfriendly  intentions 
of  the  man.  I  had  been  informed  that,  at  a  distance  of  two 
or  three  days'  ride  from  Guatcmepi'',  a  hard  battle  had  been 
fought  between  a  party  of  five  hundred  Camanche  Indians 
and  a  thousand  Mexicans,  the  latter  being  defeated.  This 
intelligence,  I  was  of  the  opinion,  my  interpreter  was  turn- 
ing to  an  account  injurious  to  the  advance  of  my  journey; 
for  he  had  imparted  it  to  my  servants,  and  would  himself, 
every  cross  we  came  to  by  the  sides  of  the  road, — which, 
the  reader  must  recollect,  were  erected  over  murdered  per- 
sons,— shout  aloud,  Los  Indios ! — (The  Indians!) 

Discovering  that  his  exclamations  had  an  undesirable  ef- 
fect upon  my  men,  I  remarked  to  him,  that  I  was  sensible 
that  I  was  surrounded  with  danger,  but  if  he  persisted  in 
alarming  my  servants,  which  might  result  in  their  desertion, 
he  might  return  to  Durango,  or  take  any  other  direction  he 
chose,  for  I  believed  his  course  of  conduct  to  be  prejudicial 
to  me.  He  insisted  that  he  was  entirely  innocent  of  an  in- 
tention of  harm,  and  implored  that  I  would  forgive  the  in- 
discretion, and  think  no  more  of  it.  lie  knew  as  well  as  I 
did  that,  if  I  discharged  him,  I  could  not  employ  another 
interpreter,  for  my  last  chance  had  escaped  me,  and  that  I 
must  need  one  in  future  more  than  ever.  I  expressed  my- 
self satisfied,  but  took  care  to  watch  and  divine,  if  I  could, 
his  every  action. 

My  guide  became  rebellious,  and  would  stop  and  have 
long  conversations  with  every  one  whom  he  met.  This 
conduct  I  had  been  advised  by  all  of  my  friends  to  prohibit, 
but  so  excited  had  the  man's  mind  become,  that  n  was  im- 
possible to  make  him  desist. 

Thus  my  disagreeable  journey  was  continued  the  whole 
day,  until  my  arrival  at  Chinacates,  a  rancho  belonging  to 
the  estate  of  the  Conde  of  Guatemepe.  I  dismounted  at  the 
house  of  the  administrador  before  sunset.     The  governor 


296  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    I  N    M  E  X  1  C  O  . 

was  from  home,  but  his  wife  came  to  the  door  and  invited 
me  in,  whicli  I  did,  and,  to  my  great  astonishment,  after  I 
had  become  seated  on  the  bench  behind  the  long  table,  she 
took  from  a  box  a  six-barreled  pistol,  the  only  one  that  I  had 
seen  in  the  country,  besides  my  own,  and  walked  across 
the  floor.  I  drew  from  my  belt  my  pair  of  similar  wea- 
pons and  laid  them  upon  the  table,  so  that  she  might  behold 
also  that  I  had  twelve  shots,  which  had  a  desirable  effect ; 
for  she  appeared  no  sooner  to  discover  them  than  she  laid 
aside  her  own.  The  woman,  I  knew,  did  not  intend  hosti- 
lity, but  as  that  part  of  the  country  was  very  much  infested 
with  marauding  land-pirates,  she  had  ever  been  accustomed 
to  be  prepared  to  meet  the  worst.  However,  the  husband 
soon  arrived,  and  I  fared  well. 

My  ride,  the  next  day,  was  mostly  upon  a  ridge  of  a 
mountain,  which  would,  at  times,  bring  me  in  view  of  the 
great  valley  of  Guatemepe.  No  incident  worthy  of  remark 
happened  during  the  day,  saving  that,  on  one  occasion,  I 
was  interrogated,  in  my  mother-tongue,  if  I  was  a  foreign- 
er, and,  upon  replying  in  the  affirmative,  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  conversing  with  an  Englishman.  Having  exchanged 
intelligence  from  the  different  points  of  our  journey,  we 
cordially  took  leave,  as  if  each  of  us  had  been  old  acquaint- 
ances. It  was  Sunday,  and,  at  the  hour  of  four  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  I  was  safely  lodged  in  the  town  of  Santa  Argo. 

Santa  Argo  has  mines,  and  is  situated  upon  what  is  called 
the  Santa  Argo  river.  The  mines  arc  not  now  worked,  for 
the  reason  of  the  poverty  of  the  ore.  The  attention  of  an 
enterprising  Mexican  company  has,  at  that  place,  been  di- 
rected to  the  manufacturing  of  cotton,  and  1  was  credibly 
informed  by  the  superintendent  of  the  factory,  the  company 
had  borrowed  their  capital,  and  were  enabled  to  make  a 
handsome  profit,  paying  thirty-seven  and  a  half  per  cent, 
upon  the  loan. 

Thus  it  can  easily  be  perceived,  how  dearly  the  Mexi- 
cans have  to  pay  for  cotton  fabrics — so  much  for  protection 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.;  297 

and  home  markets!  The  New  Englander  related  to  me 
what  the  swindler  would  call  a  smart,  but  to  others  a  dis- 
graceful account  of  a  Mexican  gentleman  of  Saltila,  who 
having  determined  to  go  into  the  cotton  manufacturing  busi- 
ness, visited  the  factories  of  the  United  States,  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  perfect  machinery.  Upon  his  arrival  he  made, 
through  a  merchant,  as  his  broker,  a  purchase  of  a  cotton 
factory  machine,  at  the  cost  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  and 
had  it  shipped  to  his  home.  He  also  engaged  an  American 
artisan  to  go  to  Saltila,  and  put  it  together.  But  all  having 
arrived,  upon  examination^  it  was  discovered  that  no  two 
wheels  of  the  whole  fabrication  belonged  to  one  another, 
being  all  mismatched,  some  too  large  and  others  too  small, 
like  the  cannon  balls  that  were  too  great  for  their  guns,  not 
a  wheel  could  be  turned,  nor  a  shot  fired.  Thus,  while  the 
Mexican  character  falls  short  of  correctness,  it  is  neverthe- 
less taken  advantage  of  sometimes.  Still  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  twenty  thousand  has  never  done  the  swindler  any 
good. 

The  Mexicans  are  very  ingenious  and  apt  artisans,  ac- 
quiring with  much  celerity  the  skill  of  any  of  ihe  mechani- 
cal branches.  They  never  serve  the  long  apprenticeships, 
that  are  so  common  in  the  Union  and  in  Europe ;  but  hav- 
ing worked  at  a  trade  some  one  or  two  years,  they  think 
themselves  sufficiently  proficient  to  carry  it  on ;  and  thus 
quit  their  tutor  and  set  up  for  themselves. 

Indeed  it  is  but  seldom,  generally  iA  Mexico,  the  mecha- 
nic has  ever  received  a  day's  instruction  in  his  particular 
trade ;  but  of  himself,  dependant  alone  upon  the  force  of  his 
genius  and  invention,  transacts  his  peculiar  business  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  customers. 

Like  the  Chinese,  the  Mexicans  have  a  good  imitative  ca- 
pacity, and  make  any  thing  by  pattern  very  tolerably.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  accomplishments  of  a  gentleman  to  know 
how  to  shoe  a  horse  or  mule;  and  all,  when  they  travel,  take 
with  them  an  assortment  of  shoes  and  nails,  so  that  if  it 


298  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

should  become  necessary  to  shoe  an  animal,  a  shoe  is  se- 
lected and  nailed  on.  The  buttress  is  never  used,  for  a 
horse  is  never  shod  until  his  feet  become  tender,  or  he  has 
to  travel  in  the  rainy  season.  Hence  it  is  that  mechanics, 
^vho  emigrate  to  JMcxico,  do  not  prosper  well,  excepting  in 
some  of  the  large  cities,  for  the  lazaroncs  all  profess  to  be 
good  brickla3^ers,  carpenters,  tailors,  saddlers,  watchmakers 
and  shoemakers ;  while  the  blacksmith  only  finds  his  art  pro- 
fitable to  him  in  large  factories. 

My  journey  on  the  next  day  was  one  of  much  vexation. 
My  servants  had  learned  at  Santa  Argo,  that  the  Indians 
had,  after  the  battle  spoken  of,  scattered,  and  were  com- 
mitting depredations  in  every  direction.  For  the  life  of  me 
I  could  hardly  keep  them  together,  for  they  would  spur  up 
to  every  individual  they  saw,  to  make  inquiries  of  them  res- 
pecting "  los  Indies."  My  interpreter,  in  the  midst  of  my 
difficulties,  utterly  disgusted  me  by  his  apparent  want  of 
confidence.  It  is  true,  that  to  have  been  attacked  by  In- 
dians would  have  been  an  unpleasant  reflection,  yet  it  was 
no  less  so,  that  we  were  momentarily  hazarding  battle  from 
Mexicans ;  and  I  was  persuaded,  that  if  there  was  any  cor- 
rectness in  the  Indian  intelligence,  my  travelling  was  ren- 
dered the  more  safe,  for  the  dreaded  Indians  would  only 
drive  home  the  ladrones,  and  my  chances  would  be  lessened 
for  a  rencounter,  in  having  none  but  the  Camanches  for  my 
enemies,  and  I  looked  upon  them  as  the  lesser  evil  of  the 
two. 

There  Vv'crc  other  reflections  to  prevent  my  retreat,  for 
I  considered  that  by  it  I  would  gain  nothing  but  delay,  with- 
out bettering  my  condition ;  and  at  any  future  period  my 
dangers  would  be  no  less,  and,  if  battle  from  Indians  or 
Mexicans  was  to  overtake  me,  I  felt  determined  to  meet  it, 
and  abide  the  result,— for  "  I  had  set  my  life  upon  a  cast, 
and  would  stand  the  hazard  of  the  die." 

I  felt  much  uneasiness  on  account  of  my  men,  for  fear 
that  their  resolution  might  falter,  and  they  positively  refuse 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  200 

to  proceed  farther,  or  cause  expensive  delays,  which  latter 
I  had  every  reason  to  ])c]icve,  was  the  intention  of  my  in- 
terpreter. At  all  hazards  I  was  determined  to  travel  to  the 
Boca,  two  days'  journey  from  San  Argo, — for  at  that  point, 
I  was  informed,  travellers  would  rendezvous  and  depart 
thence  in  large  parties.  My  interpreter  declared  that  he 
would  do  more  for  me  than  for  any  other  person  alive,  but 
he  abhorred  the  idea  of  an  Indian  scalping-knife, — and  that, 
as  for  himself,  he  would  prefer  a  death-bed  scene,  to  one  on 
the  mountains  or  the  plains. 

I  did  not  believe  that  the  man  was  a  coward,  but  that  he 
had  other  views  in  his  silly  conversation,  and  I  felt  perplexed 
with  difficulties.  My  interpreter  was  a  peculiar  man.  He 
had  a  solemn  and  melancholy  countenance.  His  often 
meditative  dejection  evidently  showed  that  he  had  deep 
thoughts  brooding  in  his  breast, — whether  they  were  those 
of  sadness,  or  his  expression  of  melancholy  was  caught  from 
the  people  he  resided  so  long  amongst,  or  the  unfriendly  buf- 
fetings  of  the  world,  I  could  not  divine — and  I  felt  tempted 
to  probe  him. 

The  more  easily  to  efiect  my  purpose,  I  inquired  of  him, 
if  he  desired  to  return  with  me  to  the  United  States  1  His 
reply  was,  that  he  felt  satisfied  with  Mexico,  and  might, 
perhaps,  at  some  future  period,  visit  the  Union.  I  was  not 
satisfied  with  this  evasive  answer,  and  commenced  describ- 
ing the  facilities  of  travelling,  the  improvements,  the  com- 
forts, wealth  and  prosperity  in  every  part  of  the  United 
States;  when  he  interrupted  me  by  asking  if  I  had  seen 
the  city  of .  I  informed  him  that  two  years  had  hard- 
ly passed  away  since  I  had  spent  some  months  in  the 
place  named,  and  commenced  describing  it, — he  wept. 
I  explained  to  him  the  flourishing  condition  of  religion 
in  the  Union.  I  told  him  that  the  numerous  denomi- 
nations were,  in  one  common  unison,  quietly  enjoying  the 
freedom  of  conscience  and  the  worship  of  their  God.  He 
replied  that  he  did  not  believe  tiiere  was  a  God,  and  that,  if 


300 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 


he  had  had  faith,  he  miglit  not  have  been  with  me  on  tliat 
day.  He  added,  that,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  had  joined 
the  church  of  Mexico — but  the  clergy  proving  to  be  the 
most  immoral  people  he  had  ever  known,  he  felt  confirmed 
in  his  original  opinions. 

This  conversation  needs  no  comment,  for  it  was  evident 
that  I  had  obtained  the  object  of  my  investigation — the  man 
was  a  refugee  from  justice. 

At  about  one  o'clock  we  arrived  at  a  village  called  San 
Dilla.  The  doors  of  tlie  houses  were  all  closed,  and  I  saw' 
but  one  wretched  old  man  sitting  in  the  shade,  who  said 
that  an  Indian  had,  on  that  morning,  been  seen  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain  overlooking  the  town,  and  had  fired  a  rifle, 
the  bullet  striking  upon  a  house-top.  This  was  the  reason, 
he  stated,  for  the  houses  being  closed,  the  better  to  save  the 
lives  and  property  of  the  inhabitants.  He  remarked  further, 
that  for  himself  he  had  lived  long  enough,  and  had  no  pro- 
perty to  lose. 

Enough  had  been  told,  and  my  men  all  dismounted,  and 
I  followed  their  example,  with  the  hope,  that  by  the  follow- 
ing morning  their  fears  would  be  quieted.  The  noise  of 
our  arrival,  and  our  knockino;  at  a  door  for  admittance,  had 
the  efl'ect,  it  seemed,  of  waking  the  inhabitants  from  their 
slumbers.  The  news  soon  spread  through  the  village,  and 
I  could  hear  from  every  quarter,  "  los  Americanos."  It 
was  not  long  before  a  well  dressed  young  man  came  and 
invited  myself  and  my  interpreter  to  partake  of  some  re- 
freshments at  his  hous  \ 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  inst.,  I  gave  directions  for 
our  departure  from  San  Dilla,  but  my  interpreter  began 
making  objections,  which  I  silenced  by  positively  command- 
ing them  to  be  made.  All  appeared  reluctantly  to  obey,  and 
we  commenced  our  march.  My  situation  was  one  of  the 
most  unpleasant  and  delicate  imaginable.  I  was  shut  out 
from  conversation,  which  entirely  placed  me  under  the  do- 
minion of  my  interpreter ;  as  so  far  from  his  attempting  to 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  oqj 

diminish  the  fears  of  my  men,  and  stimulate  them  to  action, 
it  appeared  that  he  only  encouvaged  them  in  their  evil  fore- 
bodings. 

However,  I  was  not  without  some  comfort,  for  Provi- 
dence rarely  deserts  an  individual  entirely  destitute  of 
friends.  My  principal  servant  Marcelino  seemed  to  pay 
me  more  marked  attention,  and  appeared  to  be  solicitous 
for  my  welfare.  I  noticed  that  he  would  often  cast  a 
watchful  eye  around  to  my  interpreter  and  myself,  taking 
occasion  to  pat  his  breast  with  his  left  hand,  (which  in 
Mexico  signifies  bravery,)  to  assure  me  of  his  firmness.  I 
was  satisfied  that  he  was  courageous,  for  his  deportment 
had  ever  convinced  me,  that  he  was  both  honest  in  his  in- 
tentions and  firm  at  heart. 

Yet,  to  counterbalance  these  good  impressions,  my  best 
friends  in  the  country,  w^ho,  while  they  unhesitatingly  ex- 
pressed their  doubts  of  the  success  of  my  journey,  had  par- 
ticularly advised  me,  that  when  servants  became  the  most 
attentive,  it  was  then  that  danger  was  to  be  apprehended; 
for  a  conspiracy  was  evidently  formed  against  the  master. 

The  attentions  of  Marcelino  were,  nevertheless,  grateful 
to  me,  and  I  could  not  but  conclude  that  his  motives,  under 
all  the  circumstances,  were  pure;  and  that  he  was  the  only 
friend  and  advocate  I  had  in  the  number  of  all  my  men. 
My  ovi^n  deportment  was  difficult  to  maintain  ;  having  to 
stimulate  Marcelino  by  my  confidence,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  was  necessary  in  many  ways  to  express  my  distrust 
of  the  others,  including  particularly  my  interpreter.  I  did 
not  intend  to  quarrel  w'ith  the  latter  right  out ;  for  if  things 
so  far  lost  their  balance,  I  would,  if  no  other  chance  of  safe- 
ty offered,  be  sure  of  obtaining  the  first  shot.  Besides  I  was 
desirous  to  make  him  useful  to  me  in  a  trying  moment,  when 
any  interpreter  would  be  better  than  none. 

My  journey  on  this  day  was  immediately  up  the  banks  of 
the  same  stream,  upon  which  the  town  of  Santa  Argo  is 
situated.     Its  course  was  between  two  mountains,  which 


302  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

appeared  rapidly  to  converge  as  we  advanced.  We  passed 
several  villages  all  of  which  seemed  to  be  in  a  state  of  ex- 
citement. 

At  Santa  Catarine  I  met  with  forty  men,  who  were  equip- 
ping themselves  for  an  excursion  in  the  mountains,  to  hunt 
a  small  party  of  Indians,  who  had  within  the  last  few  days 
killed  many  travellers ;  and  between  that  town  and  the  Boca 
I  met  six  mules,  each  loaded  with  the  melancholy  freight  of 
a  dead  man.  The  bodies  were  those  of  a  lawyer  of  Du- 
rango,  who  was  on  his  way  to  Culiacan  to  be  married ;  two 
others  were  young  doctors,  who  had  accompanied  him  to 
wait  upon  him  in  his  anticipated  joyous  occasion ;  the  other 
three  M-ere  servants.  They  had  come  to  their  end  mostly 
by  Indian  arrows,  the  body  of  the  lawyer  having  six  stick- 
ing in  it,  besides  having  the  flesh  of  his  throat  cut  away. 

Late  in  the  evening  we  arrived  at  the  town  of  the  Boca, 
situated  immediately  in  the  point  where  the  eastern  moun- 
tain joined  the  western  one.  Most  appropriately  had  the 
village  received  its  name,  for  in  English  it  signified  the 
mouth,  and  it  was  in  fact  the  mouth  of  the  great  valley  of 
Guatemepe. 

I  felt  rejoiced  in  overcoming  the  many  difficulties  on  my 
way  to  this  place ;  for  I  had  been  advised  by  my  country- 
man of  Santa  Argo,  if  Indians  were  talked  of  on  the  way, 
not  to  stop  short  of  the  Boca.  The  Alcalde  gave  me  notice  not 
to  proceed  farther  without  strengthening  my  party,  or  wait- 
ing for  another  company,  and  thus  my  progress  was  condi- 
tionally impeded.  My  journey  to  Canales  would  be  one 
hundred  and  ninety  miles,  across  the  Madre  Monte,  the  moth- 
er mountain ;  so  called  by  reason  of  the  vast  piles  of  moun- 
tains thrown  together,  which  are  not  found  in  any  other 
part  of  the  country.  The  Mexicans  say  the  Madre  Monte 
is  the  parent  of  the  Cordilleras  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

I  was  delayed  some  days  at  the  Boca,  to  recruit  the  num- 
ber of  my  company,  which  was  accomplished  by  the  arri- 
val of  some  more  travellers.     On  the  2Gth  instant,  I  depart- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  gQg 

ed  from  the  Boca,  (one  of  my  servants  having  deserted  me,) 
with  a  parfy  of  twenty  men  and  about  one  hundred  ani- 
mals. As  the  way  over  the  mountains  was  only  a  narrow 
path,  winding  along  the  sides  of  precipices  and  heights,  just 
admitting  the  passage  of  one  mule  with  his  rider,  or  pack, 
at  a  time,  we  became  scattered  during  the  first  and  second 
day's  toil,  and  our  independent  companies  separated  ;  for  the 
drivers  could  not  attend- to  the  general  interest,  the  animals 
of  their  masters  engrossing  their  attention  severally.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  they  could  be  managed  ;  conse- 
quently our  whole  strength  did  not  encamp  together. 

On  the  28th  instant,  the  parties  both  front  and  rear  had 
not  been  seen  by  us  for  several  hours,  and  Marcelino  ex- 
pressed his  apprehensions  that  we  would  neither  find  grass 
nor  water  for  that  night,  the  animals  having  to  find  their 
own  livings,  as  provender  cannot  be  packed  for  them. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  a  place  was  found  where 
all  our  wants  could  be  abundantly  supplied,  and  we  did  not 
hesitate  to  bivouac  there.  1  had  always  been  accustomed 
to  read  and  hear  of  Indian  fights,  and  no  sooner  were  our 
mules  turned  loose,  and  our  meal  was  over,  than  I  directed 
the  men  all  to  select  their  places  at  a  distance  from  the 
burning  fires,  where  they  should  sleep,  and  examine  well 
the  ground,  so  that  in  case  of  an  attack  mistakes  might  not 
be  made,  of  friends  for  enemies. 

My  order  having  been  obeyed,  at  the  hour  of  dark  each 
one  reposed  at  his  well-known  chosen  spot,  while  arms  and 
ammunition  were  all  put  in  readiness  for  battle  at  any  mo- 
ment. It  proved  to  be  well  that  I  had  taken  these  precau- 
tions ;  for,  between  the  hours  of  two  and  three  o'clock  at 
night,  we  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  either  Mexicans  or 
Camanche  Indians,  or  perhaps  of  both  ;  for  they  frequently 
unite  for  purposes  of  plunder.  Judging  from  the  reports  of 
their  guns,  our  enemies  were  about  twelve  in  number,  while 
my  own  men  consisted  of  the  interpreter  and  four  servants. 

Upon  the   first  alarm  being  given  by  the  shrill  whistles 


gQ4  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

and  soul-shrinking  yells  of  the  savages,  my  men  all  stood  up 
to  the  tree,  or  rock,  against  which  they  had  been  laying, 
and  returned  the  fire  of  the  enemy  like  brave  rnen.  This 
random  firing  seemed  to  last  for  about  one  hour,  when  the 
Indians  left  us  in  possession  of  our  camp. 

On  the  following  morning  no  dead  nor  wounded  sava- 
ges were  to  be  found.  Two  of  my  men  were  wounded, 
and  I  sustained  a  further  loss  by  one  of  my  mules  being 
missing ;  and  had  they  not  all  fortunately  been  hobbled,  the 
action  of  the  night  would  have  produced  a  stampede  by 
which  I  would  have  been  left  destitute.  No  sooner  had  the 
sun  dawned  than  we  were  all  mounted,  and  with  my  three 
remaining  pack-mules  I  commenced  my  line  of  march  for 
Canalcs.  There  was  no  retreat,  and  my  readers  may  de- 
pend upon  it  every  one  of  us,  as  the  saying  is,  "  kept  his  eye 
skinned,"  looking  every  moment  for  Indians.  About  one 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  as  we  ascended  a  mountain  height,  where 
there  was  some  level  land,  thickly  wooded  and  very  rocky, 
we  were  suddenly  brought  to  a  halt  by  a  shower  of  arrows 
from  Indian  bows.  We  had  nothing  to  do  but  fight,  and 
my  party  scattered  ;  some  dismounted  and  stood  behind 
their  animals,  while  others  kept  their  seats  on  their  saddles. 
As  for  myself,  (unless  I  chose  to  follow  the  example  of  the 
man  who  was  a  little  lame,)  I  determined  to  take  my  chance 
upon  mule-back;  for,  added  to  my  Zacatecas  injuries,  I  had 
not  yet  recovered  from  a  stage  upset,  upon  Mount  Airy, 
Va.,  about  twelve  months  previous. 

My  men  commenced  a  brisk  fire  from  their  several  posi- 
tions. I  could  occasionally  discover  the  huge  body  of  an 
Indian,  who  was  not  prudent  enough  to  conceal  himself,  and 
took  two  deliberate  shots  at  him,  which  seemed  to  have  no 
other  effect  than  to  knock  fragments  from  around  him,  with 
my  double-barreled  gun.  I  then  resolved  to  try  what  effect 
a  bullet  from  my  long  rifle-barreled  pistol  would  have  upon 
his  head.  Having,  with  dchberate  aim,  pulled  the  trigger, 
the  long  barrel  told  well  the  tale.     By  this  time  my  favour- 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  3O5 

ite  servant,  who  had  never  left  my  side,  seeing  tiic  big  In- 
dian fall,  became  furious  for  battle  ;  and  my  eyes  catching 
a  glimpse  of  his  long  sword,  I  immediately  gave  the  order, 
"  Charge  !  Charge  !"  My  interpreter,  true  to  his  duty,  reiter- 
ated, "  Car^a  /  Corro-a/"  which  was  no  sooner  heard  than 
every  soul  was  seated  in  his  horned  saddle,  and  with  one 
accord  the  huge  Spanish  spurs  were  driven  into  the  side  of 
our  animals. 

With  all  the  enthusiasm  of  Indian  fighting,  we  in  our  turn 
raised  the  shout  and  the  war-cry,  and  by  an  energetic  move- 
ment drove  the  enemy  before  us.  It  being  impossible  to 
chase  far  an  Indian  foe,  over  rocks  and  mountain  cliffs,  I 
considered  present  safety  better  than  complete  victory,  and 
accordingly  called  off"  my  men. 

Upon  examining  the  big  Indian,  I  found  that  he  wore  a 
wooden  mask,  having  a  long  red  tongue  hanging  from  its 
mouth,  besides  many  serpents  and  horns  nodding  and  dodg- 
ing from  the  top  of  his  head  and  round  his  shoulders.  His 
leather  clothing  was  stuffed  with  moss,  such  as  is  used  in 
the  United  States  for  filling  the  cushions  of  sofas  and  mat- 
tresses. None  of  my  men  were  injured.  I  had  an  arrow 
to  pass  through  my  hat,  and  two  through  my  Mexican  blan- 
ket, at  the  horn  of  my  saddle.  These  Indians  had  notched 
two  arrows  at  a  time,  and  are  generally  reputed  to  be  very 
certain  of  their  aim.  A  battle  with  arrows  is  of  course  noise- 
less. 

Mounted  on  my  little  mule  I  continued  to  pursue  my  jour- 
ney. It  is  not  considered  safe  to  travel  on  any  other  ani- 
mal over  these  mountains,  as  the  mules  are  very  sure-footed 
and  sagacious ;  often  having  to  make  a  delicate  step,  or 
jump,  on  a  craggy  steep  ;  in  which  case  he  will,  with  great 
sagacity,  pause  and  balance  himself,  apparently  to  feel  if  his 
rider  is  firmly  seated ;  and  then,  as  quick  as  thought,  he 
makes  the  bound  which  lands  his  feet  on  the  opposite  rock; 
a  slip  from  which  would  inevitably  have  precipitated  both 
man  and  beast  down  a  deep  and  craggy  vortex. 
20 


306 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


To  give  some  idea  of  the  height  of  the  Madre  Monte,  I 
will  remark  that  the  traveller  is  often  obliged  to  consume 
the  whole  day  in  ascending  a  mountain  ;  which  when  over- 
come, to  his  astonishment  he  beholds  that  upon  the  supre- 
macy of  heights,  as  he  had  imagined  the  one  he  has  just  as- 
cended, he  has  but  to  commence  another  arduous  and  giddy 
task  of  reaching  an  eminence,  perhaps  greater  than  the 
other.  And  what  overpowered  my  philosophy  w^as,  that 
the  tops  and  the  glens  of  these  mountains,  many  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  plains,  abounded  in  water,  and  I 
have  been  informed  that  some  of  these  heights  are  covered 
with  bog,  while  a  well  cannot  be  sunk  deep  enough  in  the 
plains  to  obtain  water. 

The  abundance  of  water  is  the  only  difficulty  to  be  con- 
tended with  in  mining  upon  the  mountains,  while  at  the 
same  time  there  is  nothing  so  needed  on  the  plains  below  as 
the  liquid  element.  From  such  experience  in  Mexico  I  am 
forced  to  look  upon  that  country  as  a  natural  paradox.  It 
is — and  it  is  not — a  contradiction  in  humanity,  religion  and 
nature.  When  the  mind  of  the  traveller  resorts  to  the  early 
history  of  the  country,  and  beholds  the  formidable  natural 
barriers  which  the  Spaniards  had  to  overcome,  he  is  aston- 
ished at  the  remarkable  rapidity  witli  which  the  aborigines 
were  subdued.  The  spirit  of  discovery  and  of  conquest 
once  kindled,  the  romantic  excitement  it  produced  was  over- 
powering, and  with  an  enthusiasm  which  nothing  but  a  like 
cause  could  engender,  and  an  avarice  never  to  be  satiated — 
the  Spaniards  swept  over  plain  and  mountain  with  an  irre- 
sistible power,  and  subdued  a  continent,  the  dominion  of 
which  extended  to  the  limits  of  Cancer  on  the  north,  and 
Capricorn  on  the  south. 

On  this  night  I  bivouaced  on  a  greater  elevation  than  I 
had  before  done,  and  on  the  next  morning  I  had  the  plea- 
sure to  behold  a  fine  frost,  with  which  my  blankets  were 
covered.  It  was  the  only  one  I  had  seen  in  the  Qountry, 
and  I  could  not  withhold  the  temptation  of  touching  it  with 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  OQ'J 

my  fingers,  and  cooling  my  hands  with  the  white  dew  of 
heaven.  It  was,  however,  short  lived,  but  as  long  as  it 
lasted  I  could  not  take  my  eyes  from  the  pure  sight,  or  sup- 
press the  thoughts  of  my  own  native  hills  of  Virginia. 

My  guide  informed  me  that  I  could,  on  that  day,  reach 
Caneles,  and  the  cheering  news  seemed  to  animate  my 
whole  party  wdth  the  thoughts,  that  one  more  ride  would 
put  us  beyond  the  danger  of  Indians,  and  into  an  inhabited 
country.  Shortly  after  we  set  out,  we  had  to  ascend  a 
mountain,  which  brought  us  in  view  of  a  snow-capped  peak 
which  reached  far  above  any  other  point.  Having  de- 
scended the  opposite  side,  we  travelled  along  the  bed  of  a 
river  for  some  four  or  five  miles.  The  stream  w^as  shut 
up  between  two  mountains,  whose  rocky  and  precipitous 
heights  prohibited  a  pathway  along  its  sides.  Many  were 
the  curiosities,  and  the  freaks  of  nature  that  I  beheld  in  the 
singular  formations  of  the  rocks.  On  the  top  of  a  high  point 
on  one  of  these  mountains  was  a  flat  rock,  just  the  shape  of 
a  man's  hand,  which  sat  upright  on  a  wrist.  The  mammoth 
hand  could  not  have  been  less  than  one  hundred  feet  in 
height.  It  appeared  to  point  due  north  and  south,  as  if  to 
•  prevent  the  traveller,  who  was  confined  between  these  wild 
and  rugged  barriers,  from  becoming  bewildered,  and  thus 
lose  his  proper  direction.  All  the  rock  of  the  mountains 
seemed  to  be  of  a  rotten  lime  and  sandstone  order. 

The  Madre  Monte  is  a  vast  mountain,  having  hundreds 
of  smaller  ones  piled  upon  her  broad  bosom.  By  a  percep- 
tion of  the  imagination  she  seems  in  sportive  magnificence 
to  fondle  and  cherish  her  nesthngs  at  the  bleached  and  pure 
white  nipple  of  lier  breast. 

We  travelled  on  that  day  over  a  continuous  range  of 
mountains.  The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  yet 
Caneles  did  not  appear.  My  men  were  all  gay — now  sing- 
ing merrily  and  then  vauntingly  yelling  the  Indian  war- 
whoop.  In  the  everjing  I  despatched  my  guide  forward  to 
enofage  me  rooms  at  a  meson  in  town.     He  had  been  absent 


3Qg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

about  two  hours,  when  at  sunset  we  overtook  him  on  the 
top  of  a  mountain.  His  countenance  seemed  so  dejected 
that  I  began  to  apprehend  some  calamity.  However,  I  was 
soon  undeceived  by  his  informing  me  that  he  had  been  mis- 
taken in  his  calculation,  and  that  it  would  not  be  until  the 
following  day  that  we  could  reach  Caneles. 

On  receiving  this  unwelcome  intelligence,  we  hastened 
down  the  mountain,  by  which  time  darkness  overtook  us. 
We  dismounted  and  kindled  our  fire,  and  unpacked  the  ani- 
mals. I  caused  lights  to  be  set  around  the  ground  in  differ- 
ent directions,  so  that  I  was  enabled  to  review  all  immedi- 
ately about  us.  We  were  on  a  wet  place  with  a  soft  soil. 
There  was  just  level  space  enough  to  stake  my  tent,  for  the 
first  time  since  it  had  been  in  my  possession.  My  cartera 
also  I  had  determined  to  sleep  on  that  night,  for  the  only 
time  since  I  had  been  in  the  mountains,  as  a  prudential  step 
for  the  preservation  of  my  health ;  and  accordingly  gave 
directions  for  the  work  to  be  done. 

My  interpreter  complained  much  of  my  guide,  expressing 
his  want  of  confidence  in  him,  saying,  that  he  should  not  be 
surprised  if  he  was  in  league  with  a  marauding  party  for 
our  destruction,  by  his  deceiving  us  on  that  day.  I  endea- 
voured to  quiet  the  man's  fears,  by  saying  that  I  believed 
him  innocent  of  any  bad  intentions,  and  told  him  tliat  mis- 
takes were  common  to  every  person,  and  that  it  was  evi- 
dently as  much  his  interest  to  take  us  to  Caneles,  as  it  was 
our  own  to  get  there. 

My  tent  pitched,  and  my  cartera  erected,  I,  for  the  first 
time  in  four  days  and  nights,  took  off  m.y  belt  of  arms,  and 
laid  it  on  the  common  pile  of  weapons  at  the  mouth  of  the 
marquee.  My  servants  busily  engaged  themselves  in  pre- 
paring dinner.  While  they  were  thus  employed  at  the  fire, 
a  little  distance  from  the  tent,  my  intcri)reter  gravely  ap- 
proached mc,  and  said  that  he  confidently  believed  wc 
would  be  attacked  that  night,  and  he  felt  desirous  to  make 
a  proposition  to  me,  which  was,  that  he  and  I  should  leave 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  o An 

the  camp  and  lay  upon  the  way  side,  to  attack  the  Indians 
when  they  would  be  stealing  upon  us.  I  replied  that  I 
should  rest  myself  that  night,  though  the  mountains  should 
be  covered  with  howling  devils,  threatening  to  devour  me 
alive. 

He  was  meditative  a  short  time,  and  again  remarked, 
that  as  I  was  unwilling  to  accompany  him,  and  he  did  not 
want  to  see  me  taken  by  surprise,  as  I  had  been  on  the  night 
previous,  he  wished  permission  to  adventure  alone,  that  he 
might  give  the  alarm  before  the  enemy  could  storm  my 
camp.  A  thought  at  the  moment  gleamed  through  my  mind, 
and  I  resolutely  informed  him,  that  he  might  leave  as  soon 
as  he  hked,  but  that  all  the  arms  in  the  camp  belonged  to 
me,  and  that  he  should  carry  none  of  them  with  him.  Suit- 
ing the  action  to  the  word,  I  stepped  between  him  and  the 
weapons.  The  interpreter  instantly  sank  to  the  earth,  as  if 
death  had  overtaken  him. 

I  raised  my  belt  and  buckled  it  round  my  person,  then 
put  my  gun  and  holster-pistols  in  my  cartera,  and  motioned 
to  my  servants  to  put  on  their  arms.  I  noticed  that  the 
conversation  and  actions  of  the  interpreter  had  attracted 
their  attention,  and  they  all  obeyed  me.  Marcelino  drew 
his  knife,  and  seated  himself  behind  the  suspected  man,  and 
signified  by  a  motion  of  his  hand,  that  if  he  moved  he  would 
let  him  have  it — to  which  I  nodded  assent. 

With  a  heart  and  head  that  ached,  I  could  eat  but  little. 
My  good  servant  seeming  to  insist  so  much,  by  his  signs, 
that  I  should  lie  down,  I  concluded  to  do  so,  but  not  to 
sleep.  Exhausted  nature,  however,  was  supreme  to  my 
will,  and  I  no  sooner  extended  myself,  than  the  w^orld  was 
lost  to  me.  Marcelino  awoke  me  in  the  morning  before  my 
interpreter  had  arisen.  I  had  him  aroused,  and  when  cho- 
colate was  over,  for  fear  of  an  attack,  and  thinking  that, 
perhaps,  I  had  judged  him  too  harshly,  I  handed  him  back 
his  weapons. 

We  commenced  our  day's  journey  by  ascending  the  next 


2lQ  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

mountain.  Having  travelled  some  distance  upon  its  ridge, 
my  interpreter  dropped  his  hat,  and  dismounted  to  pick  it 
up.  I  had  passed  him  but  a  short  distance,  when  I  con- 
cluded to  look  around.  Not  hearing  the  tread  of  his  ani- 
mal, I  suddenly  turned  my  head  and  discovered  the  man  in 
the  act  of  pointing  his  gun  at  me,  over  his  saddle.  I  wheeled 
instantly,  and  drawing  my  rifle  pistol,  made  towards  him. 
He  said  that  he  had  a  second  time  dropped  his  hat,  and  was 
only  in  the  act  of  mounting  his  horse  when  I  saw  him.  I 
commanded  him  to  mount,  telling  him,  that  if  he  dared  again 
to  get  behind  me,  under  any  circumstances,  it  must  prove 
fatal  to  one  of  us,  and  we  continued  our  travel. 

The  scenes  of  nature  through  which  we  passed  were  of 
the  most  stupendous  kind, — consisting  of  mountains,  rocks, 
cataracts,  and  deep  glens.  The  deer,  the  wolf,  and  the  wild 
turkey  inhabited  the  dense  forests — nor  was  there  any  habi- 
tation between  the  Boca  and  where  we  then  were.  I  hearti- 
ly desired  to  see  Caneles. 

1  was  informed  that  there  is  a  species  of  grizzly  bear  that 
lives  in  the  clefts  of  these  mountains.  They  are  said  to  be 
as  white,  and  in  fact  the  same  animal,  as  those  found  in  the 
ice  regions  of  the  north.  They  are  supposed  to  have  made 
their  way  from  the  regions  of  the  north,  their  native  clime, 
upon  the  long  range  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  I  had  to  ad- 
mire the  abundance  and  beauty  of  the  game  I  witnessed. 
But  my  guns  had  not  been  loaded  to  harm  them.  I  had  no 
shots  but  for  defence. 

By  the  middle  of  the  day  we  had  ascended  a  mountain 
that  overlooked  all  others  in  the  vicinity.  The  air  was 
cold,  and  we  all  drew  on  our  serapis.  My  guide  seemed 
desirous  to  show  me  some  object.  I  inquired  of  my  inter- 
preter what  it  was.  He  informed  me  that  it  was  the  Pacific 
ocean. 

From  the  position  I  occupied,  like  Nunez  de  Bilboa,  on 
the  heights  of  the  isthmus  of  Darien,  I  looked  over  land  until 
it  was  lost  in  the  vast  immensity  of  misty  space — the  vapours 


TR  A  VELS   I  N   MEX  ICO.  gii 

of  the  waters  of  the  ocean  exhibiting  a  marked  contrast  to 
the  dry  and  clear  atmosphere  of  the  parciied  land.  The 
sight  was  sublimely  extensive,  yet  I  did  not  enjoy  the  view 
as  much  as  if  I  had  been  more  happily  conditioned. 

We  descended  a  high  mountain,  and  my  guide  gave  the 
joyful  intelligence  that  Caneles  was  in  sight,  and  pointed  out 
the  opposite  height  that  also  overlooked  the  town.  At  length 
we  came  to  the  brink  of  the  mountain,  which  commanded 
the  view  of  a  vast  ravine,  in  the  bottom  of  which,  situated 
upon  a  bold  and  rapid  stream,  is  the  town  of  Caneles. 

The  mountain  was  precipitous.  We  made  a  slow  zig-zag 
progress,  making  an  angle  at  almost  every  ten  or  twenty 
paces.  My  journey  down  the  height,  with  Caneles  con- 
stantly in  sight,  was  three  hours  at  least.  And  thus,  upon 
the  evening  of  the  28th  instant,  I  dismounted  at  the  house 
rented  for  me  by  my  guide.  While  the  sceptre  of  thought 
shall  hold  dominion  over  my  mind,  and  when  all  other  im- 
pressions are  blotted  out  of  my  memory,  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  two  little  boys  who  came  running,  with  tears 
streaming  from  their  eyes,  and  exclaimed,  ^' Adios  Teo?" 
"How  do  you  do,  uncle?"  I  clasped  them  to  my  bosom, 
and  wept  for  an  only  and  a  departed  brother 


312 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

My  first  object.  An  American  living  at  Canele.^.  Inteiistcd  witli  my  voice.  Develop- 
ment made  by  Mai-celino.  Mineral  of  Canelc?.  Sublime  view  of  the  scenery  of  Cane- 
les.  The  climate  of  Canele.'!.  Mountains  abound  with  silver.  Quicksilver  of  Caneles. 
Mr.  John  nuchan.  governor  of  an  English  company.  Disease  of  goitre.  Doctor  Ebtrle. 
Feelings  of  myself.  Did  not  repose  at  Caneles.  Journey  down  the  Caneles  river.  View 
of  mountain  scenery.  All  nature  in  Mexico  at  war.  Mule  more  sapient  than  a  horse. 
The  town  of  Topie.  Planting  corn  Emerge  from  between  two  Cerrocs.  View  of  open 
space  beautiful.  Si)ecies  of  birds.  Remarkable  account  of  the  love  of  an  Indian  woman. 
Arrived  at  Tamazula.  President  Victoria.  Hospitality  of  the  Prefect  and  Curate.  Chil- 
dren of  priests.  Tamazula  river.  Uniaya  river.  Culiacan  river.  Town  of  Cosala. 
IMa/.atalan.  A  voyage  from  China.  Fish  and  oysters.  GuadaIou|)e  de  Calvo,  English 
silver  mines.  Mountains  abound  in  silver.  Mineral  of  Refugio.  Return  to  the  mineral 
of  Caneles.  Inhabitants  of  the  hot  and  cold  regions.  Difference  of  temperature  of  the 
Pacific  and  Atlantic  coasts.  Departed  from  Caneles  for  Guanosebi.  Unintelligible  con- 
versation. Met  with  Mr.  Buchan  at  Guanosebi.  Moon-shine  in  Mexico.  A  general,  a 
])rie6t,  and  a  lawyer.    Santa  Anna's  hacienda  campus.     Mexican  attacluuent. 

My  first  object,  after  my  arrival  at  Caneles,  was  to  re- 
fresh myself  from  the  fatigues  of  travel ;  and  accordingly, 
having  partaken  of  a  good  dinner,  I  retired  to  my  cartera, 
where,  until  the  next  morning,  I  indulged  in  delightful  slum- 
ber, and  many  dreams — which  was  but  living  over  again  my 
hopes,  my  hazards,  and  my  sufferings. 

The  1st  of  March  found  me  on  my  feet  long  before  the 
sun  had  gilded  the  cloud-capped  heights  that  overlooked  the 
town.  I  had  understood  that  an  American  lived  in  Caneles, 
and  my  solicitude  was  to  see  him,  before  my  necessities 
would  require  me  to  transact  further  business  through  the  in- 
terpreter whom  I  had  in  my  employment,  and  whom  I  in- 
tended that  day  to  discharge,  regardless  of  all  considera- 
tions. 

A  change  of  my  condition  was  obligatory,  and  if  I  should 
not  be  bettered,  my  situation  could  be  no  worse,  and 
I  said  to  my  little  nephews,  "  traygame  Jos  Americanos." 
They  had  arisen  early  to  present  me  with  some  flowers  ; 
they  took  me  by  the  hand  and  conducted  me  to  the  house 
of  my  fellow  countryman,  just  in  the   same  manner  as  a 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  3^3 

blind  man  would  have  been  led  the  way.  I  felt  mucli  in- 
terest in  the  s}mpathy  of  my  boys ;  for  they  seemed  to 
think  that,  as  I  could  not  converse  with  them  in  Spanish,  I 
might  also  be  deficient  in  eye-sight,  and  with  the  greatest 
care  did  they  lead  me  along,  pointing  out  every  article  and 
turn  that  we  came  to. 

The  imagination  of  my  nephews  that  I  was  deficient  in 
sight,  was  not  more  strange  than  the  impression  that  the 
Mexicans  often  have,  of  those  who  do  not  speak  their  lan- 
guage ;  for  they  will  talk  in  a  loud  voice  to  a  foreigner  as 
if  he  was  deaf,  and  the  oftener  they  receive  the  reply  "  7io 
intende,^'  the  louder  will  they  vociferate. 

I  explained  to  the  American  my  misgivings,  and  the  sus- 
picions I  had  of  my  interpreter,  and  requested  him  to  con- 
verse with  my  servants,  and  if  possible  to  ascertain  how  far 
my  conjectures  were  correct. 

My  friend  was  but  a  short  time  absent,  when  he  returned 
bringing  with  him  Marcelino,  who  related  that  my  inter- 
preter had  informed  my  men  that  there  was  gold  in  my 
trunk,  and  had  made  them  the  proposition  that  I  should  be 
murdered,  and  they,  with  the  spoil,  make  their  safe  retreat 
to  the  Pacific  coast. 

As  for  myself,  I  felt  convinced  of  the  truth  of  his  state- 
ment, and  could  then  well  discern  why  the  interpreter  had 
expressed  so  many  fears  of  my  gu'de,  which  was  done  to 
prevent  any  suspicions  of  himself  being  otherwise  than 
interested  for  my  safety.  Indeed,  so  strong  were  my  sus- 
picions of  him  on  the  day  previous,  that  I  should  certainly 
have  come  to  deadly  conflict  with  him,  had  I  not  wished  to 
reach  Caneles  on  the  same  evening,  as  I  was  unwilling  to 
camp  another  night  with  so  dangerous  a  man.  I  therefore 
did  not  wish,  if  it  could  be  avoided,  to  take  his  life,  or  run 
the  risk  of  losing  my  own,  knowing  that,  when  at  Caneles, 
I  could  easily  relieve  myself 

I  had  my  interpreter  and  all  of  my  servants  summoned 
before  the  Alcalde,  and  in  his  presence  settled  with  each. 


3J4  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

In  discharging  them  from  my  service  I  commanded  that 
they  should  depart  from  the  town  immediately,  or  dse  suf- 
fer the  consequences  of  the  law.  Marcelino  I  would  gladly 
have  reserved,  but  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  Zacatecas  to 
deliver  the  animals  I  had  hired  of  his  master. 

The  mineral  of  Caneles  is  situated  in  a  deep  and  narrow 
ravine,  having  the  mountains  on  the  east  and  west,  rising 
immediately  to  a  general  elevation  of  from  two  to  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  town.  I  could  find  no  one  who 
could  give  me  the  height  of  any  of  the  northern  mountains 
abov^e  the  sea,  or  their  latitude  and  longitude.  For  the  want 
of  instruments  I  was  unable  to  ascertain  those  important 
scientific  observations.  The  mountain  to  the  east  forms  an 
extensive  curve,  and  for  many  hundred  feet  appears  to  have 
no  declivity,  but  is  of  an  abrupt  perpendicular  steep;  while 
in  some  parts  of  it  the  rocks  protrude  in  vast  dimensions 
over  the  deep  gulf  beneath. 

High  towards  heaven,  yet  not  to  the  height  of  the  moun- 
tain, the  beholder  cannot  cast  his  eyes  without  viewing  the 
deep  azure  blue  mist  hovering  over  the  scene.  This  mist 
arises  from  the  foaming  tide  of  the  Canclcs  river,  as  it 
bounds  and  surges  over  the  rocks,  down  its  headlong  course 
due  north.  The  mountain  to  the  west  is  an  immense  rock, 
only  accessible  to  the  slow  and  circuitous  footsteps  of  hu- 
man beings,  and  the  flight  of  birds.  Its  uneven  side  has  a 
dark  and  brownish  aspect.  Its  extended  top  is  crowned 
with  two  peaks,  or  nipples,  which  circumstance  has  caused 
it  to  be  named  the  Silla  Cerro,  the  saddle  mountain.  The 
whole  scene  is  completed  by  an  extensive  view  between  the 
two  cerros  to  the  north ;  while  to  the  south,  the  lowering 
points  of  the  Madre  Monte  are  visible. 

The  climate  of  Caneles  is  spring  and  summer.  Vegeta- 
bles and  fruits  which  abound  in  any  other  latitudes,  are  plen- 
tifully cultivated  there.  The  trees  are  perpetually  green ; 
for  as  fast  as  the  leaves  fade  and  fall,  others  are  fresh  ex- 
panding; added  to  which  the  golden  harvests  of  the  orange 


TRAVELS    IN  MEXICO.  Ol  5 

tree  are  ever  beautiful  to  the  eye  and  templing  to  the  taste. 
The  name  Caneles  means  cinnamon.  Whether  this  phint 
was  ever  cultivated  there  I  could  not  ascertain,  and  was 
therefore  at  a  loss  to  know  how  the  place  acquired  its  name, 
unless  it  was  by  a  freak  of  fancy.  The  streets  are  necessa- 
rily narrow.  To  the  inhabitants  this  is  no  inconvenience, 
for  a  wheeled  vehicle  of  any  kind  has  never  been  seen  in 
the  town ;  indeed  it  would  be  impossible  for  one  to  ascend 
the  mountain  at  any  point. 

The  mountains  of  Caneles  have  ever  been  celebrated, 
from  the  early  discovery  of  the  country,  for  abounding  in 
silver,  but  from  the  poverty  of  the  ore,  the  mines  have  never 
been  extensively  worked.  But  what  has  rendered  the  place 
famous  as  a  mineral  locality  is,  that  veins  of  quicksilver  have 
been  found  there.  These  have  never  been  worked  success- 
fully. I  learned  that  the  people  were  much  flattered  with 
hopes,  from  the  fact  that  an  English  company  had  but  re- 
cently commenced  opening  a  mercury  mine,  under  the  ex- 
perienced management  of  Mr.  John  Buchan,  an  enterpri- 
sing Englishman.  Mr.  B.  is  a  son  of  the  celebrated  Capt. 
Buchan,  who  was  lost  in  a  British  exploring  expedition  to 
the  North  Pole. 

I  was  shown  some  specimens  of  quicksilver  ore,  of  which 
there  were  two  kinds.  The  liquid  metal  was  contained  in 
a  soft  red  stone.  In  the  first  kind  the  mineral  was  not  per- 
ceptible in  the  rock,  which  was  only  ascertained  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  foreign  substance  by  its  weight.  The  second 
and  last  degree  of  specimens  difiered  from  the  first  only  by 
the  mineral  protruding  out  of  the  stone  in  small  detached 
particles,  the  only  contrast  being,  that  the  one  was  richer 
in  mercury  than  the  other. 

Quicksilver  is  never  found  but  in  secondary  formations. 
The  ore  is  pulverised  into  an  impalpable  powder,  and  the 
mineral  is  obtained  by  washing  the  oflal  from  the  silver. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  mines  of  Caneles  are  most  grievously 
affected  with  the  loathsome  disease  bronchocele,  or  goitre, 


326  TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 

called  by  tiicm  huche.  This  distressing  complaint  is  a  chro- 
nic enlargement  of  the  thyroid  gland.  The  goitre  tumour 
exists  sometimes  on  both,  but  most  generally  at  Caneles,  on 
one  side  of  the  larynx  and  trachea.  As  the  tumour  enlarges 
it  becomes  more  inconvenient,  and  distresses  the  respira- 
tion and  the  voice,  in  proportion  to  its  inward  tendency. 

At  Caneles,  where  one-half  of  the  population  was  dis- 
eased, I  saw  some  of  these  tumours  of  great  size,  having 
to  be  suspended  in  a  handkerchief  or  bandage  from  the 
neck.  I  did  not  witness  any  so  large  as  those  described  by 
Dr.  Mott  in  his  travels  in  Switzerland ;  for  he  says,  that  at 
Martigny  he  saw  one, — "  the  size  of  the  tumour  was  of  such 
colossal  dimensions,  that  the  poor  woman  was  obliged  to 
crawl  along  the  floor  upon  her  hands  and  feet,  dragging  the 
gigantic  dewlap  and  pendulous  mass  after  her." 

At  Caneles,  children,  born  of  goitred  parents,  are  certain 
to  be  idiots,  or  deaf  and  dumb  ;  in  some  instances  the  limbs 
are  feeble  and  ricketty...  The  disease  is  hereditaiy.  From 
all  the  information  I  could  obtain  of  the  disease  at  Caneles, 
it  must  have  had  its  origin  from  the  atmosphere,  and  not 
from  the  water.  The  most  effectual  remedy  there  used 
was  half  a  drachm  of  hydrate  of  potash,  mixed  in  one 
ounce  of  lard,  and  nightly  rubbed  on  in  small  quantities. 

Dr.  Eberle,  in  his  treatise  on  goitre  remarks — "  In  many 
localities,  where  bronchocele  prevails  cndemically,  particu- 
larly in  the  deep  valleys  of  the  Alps,  the  disease  is  very 
frecjuently  attended  with  stunted  and  deformed  develope- 
ment  of  the  body,  and  a  corresponding  deterioration  of  the 
intellectual  faculties.  It  is  thus  that,  amidst  the  magnificent 
and  beautiful  scenes  of  nature,  man  alone  is  doomed  to 
dwindle — to  sink  under  the  inevitable  influences  that  sur- 
round him,  frnm  his  noblest  prerogatives  to  the  lowest  state 
of  corporeal  and  intellectual  deterioration.  The  unfortu- 
nate beings  who  arc  afflicted  in  this  manner,  and,  in  some 
situations,  the  majority  of  the  native  inliabitants  are  more 
or    less   affected,   and   stunted   in   growth,  with   enormous 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  Ol-y 

heads,  tumid  necks,  and  manifest  a  degree  of  mental  habi- 
tude, which  in  aggravated  instances  amounts  to  absolute 
idiotism.  The  combinations  of  aflections  is  called  creti- 
nism, and  the  unfortunate  themselves  cretines.  In  no  part 
of  the  world  is  the  disease  so  prevalent,  and  so  distressing 
in  its  character,  as  in  some  of  the  valleys  of  the  Alps  and 
Appenincs.  In  certain  districts  of  Switzerland  and  Savoy, 
about  the  whole  of  the  indigenous  population  are  more  or 
less  affected  with  goitrous  enlargements.  In  the  Aalley  of 
the  Rhone,  at  Martigny,  St.  Maurice,  Agile,  Villcneuve, 
Bourg,  Lucerne,  and  at  Dresden,  and  in  the  valleys  of  Pied- 
mont, this  disease  is  extremely  common,  Goitre  occurs 
also  in  various  parts  of  Asia,  particularly  in  Chinese  Tar- 
tary,  and  in  Hindostan ;  and  in  certain  districts  in  Africa 
it  is  said  to  be  very  common.  In  England,  the  disease  oc- 
curs very  frequently  in  certain  mountainous  districts  of  the 
counties  of  Derbyshire,  Buckinghamshire,  Surrey,  and 
Norfolk.  In  our  own  country  also  there  are  localities  in 
which  goitre  is  of  frequent  occurrence.  At  Bennington, 
Camden,  Sandgate,  Windsor  and  Chester,  in  Vermont,  bron- 
chocele  is  very  common.  In  the  state  of  New  York  it  is 
frequently  met  with  at  Oneida,  the  German  falls,  in  the 
Onondaga  valley,  in  the  township  of  Manlius,  at  Brother- 
town,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Angelica  in  Alleghany  coun- 
ty, and  in  various  other  localities  in  the  north-western 
districts  of  the  state.  In  Pennsylvania,  it  occurs,  not  un- 
frequently,  at  Pittsburg,  at  Cannonsborough,  Brownsville, 
and  along  the  Alleghany,  Sandusky  and  Monongahela 
rivers.  It  is  met  with  in  Virginia  at  Morgantown  and  on 
the  banks  of  the  Cheat  river."  / 

None  but  him  who  has  been  siinilariy  conditioned  can 
imagine  the  feelings  of  myself,  when  standing  by  the  tomb 
of  a  relative,  in  a  distant  and  foreign  country.  The  health 
of  my  brother,  J.  P.  Gilliam,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  Consul  at  Mont- 
erey, on  the  Pacific,  having  become  delicate,  he  retired  to 
the  mountains  of  Caneles,  for  the  benefits  tbat  might  accrue 


gjg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

but,  at  that  retired  and  isolated  place  it  pleased  the  divine 
will  that  he  should  depart  from  this  to  a  better  state  of  ex- 
istence. Having  taken  into  my  charge  his  two  sons,  it  be- 
came necessary  that  I  should  visit  some  of  the  towns  in  the 
surrounding  country,  which,  perhaps,  would  cause  me  to 
travel  to  Maztelan. 

That  I  might  finish  my  business  without  the  loss  of  time, 
I  did  not  tarry  at  Caneles  longer  than  till  the  4th  inst ,  on 
which  day  I  found  myself  again  in  a  saddle,  and  accompa- 
nied by  four  others ;  an  American,  of  Caneles,  going  as  my 
interpreter.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  as  at  the  time  it  did 
so  to  me,  my  road,  for  ninety  miles,  was  to  be  down  the  bed 
of  the  Caneles  river,  confined  as  it  is,  for  that  distance,  be- 
tween two  cerros,  upon  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left.  I  do 
not  believe  that  I  shall  hazard  a  contradiction  of  opinion 
when  I  express  my  belief  that,  perhaps,  for  the  same  num- 
ber of  miles,  another  like  journey  is  not  made  on  the  face 
of  the  earth.  The  river  averages  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
yards  in  width,  at  first,  but,  at  the  latter  half  of  the  distance, 
it  is  increased  by  the  junction  of  another  stream,  bedded 
immediately  between  mountains,  abruptly  rising  to  an  im- 
mense height. 

These  mountains  are  only  accessible  to  the  flight  of  birds. 
The  fall  of  water  is  rapid,  and  must  be  from  two  to  three 
hundred  feet  in  the  mile.  The  bed  of  the  river  is  rocky,  and, 
in  some  places,  of  such  extent  as  to  almost  choke  up  the 
way  from  the  passage  of  travellers.  A  journey  on  that 
stream  is  always  perilous ;  for  often,  while  an  animal  would 
be  in  the  water  up  to  the  feet  of  its  rider,  many  short  an- 
gles have  to  be  made  to  pass  around  the  large  smooth  rocks, 
too  high  to  be  surmounted,  while  the  sure-footed  beast  would 
have  to  bound  over  others,  plunging  into  the  water  on  the 
opposite  side.  A  mishap  would,  in  many  instances,  over- 
throw both  rider  and  mule  into  deep  sucks,  flooding  round 
rocks,  which  would  inevitably  destroy  them. 

There  were,  nevertheless,  times  when    short  points   of 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  gjg 

rocks  or  earth,  sometimes  steep,  and  at  others  low,  had  to 
be  passed.  Tlien  the  traveller  would  have  to  encounter  the 
cat's-paw,  or  some  other  briery  growth,  which  would  tear 
his  clothes  and  flesh ;  for  all  the  vegetable  kingdom  in  Mex- 
ico is  thorny.  Indeed  the  idea  often  strikes  one,  that  all 
nature  there  is  at  war — the  birds,  the  beasts,  the  creeping 
insects  and  reptiles,  as  well  as  the  vegetation,  are  albarmed 
for  formidable  aggression  and  defence;  and  yet,  above 
every  other  consideration,  man,  who  should  be  lord  and 
subduer  of  uncultivated  nature,  is  the  bane  over  all,  for  he 
excels  in  his  unkind  and  hostile  deeds.  The  traveller  has 
to  spend  the  night  at  some  narrow  nook  that  may  promise 
scanty  picking  for  his  animals,  and  safety  for  himself.  He 
does  not  proceed  more  than  half  a  day  down  the  river  be- 
fore he  perceives  that  the  mountain-sides,  which  will  admit 
of  growth,  are  covered  with  forests  of  log-wood. 

I  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  mule  was  the  most  stupid, 
as  well  as  the  most  stubborn  of  animals :  but,  on  my  first 
acquaintance  with  him,  T  was  agreeably  disappointed.  To 
do  him  justice,  I  now  express  myself,  that  I  believe  him  to 
be  more  useful  and  more  sapient  than  the  horse.  He  is 
more  docile — coming  and  going  to  his  work  with  unsubdued 
fortitude  and  unchangeable  habits— and,  if  obstinate,  never 
so  without  the  shadow  of  a  just  cause.  He  has  a  distinc- 
tive knowledge  of  his  master,  and  all  his  other  animals; 
and,  undriven,  will  select  his  own  apporao,  (pack-saddle,) 
out  of  an  hundred;  which,  when  packed,  he  will  take  the 
most  particular  care  of;  that  his  cargo  will  not  come  in 
contact  with  another.  If  he  has  to  pass  under  a  limb,  he 
will  just  stoop  enough  to  let  his  load  pass  the  obstacle  un- 
touched. If  a  rock  projects  from  the  side  of  a  mountain, 
his  instinct  instructs  him  to  lean  to  one  side,  so  that  a  box 
of  goods  will  be  unharmed. 

I  have  had  my  riding-mule  to  stoop  and  lean,  so  that  my 
body  would  have  free  passage  under  suspended  difficulties 
or  through  narrow  defiles.     He  will  punctually  follow  the 


320  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

whistle,  or  the  tinkling  of  a  small  bell,  wlien  his  path-way 
is  too  narrow,  bushy  and  crooked  for  him  to  see  his  leader ; 
and  at  night,  when  he  is  turned  loose  to  graze,  the  mule  will 
not  suffer  the  animals  of  another  ariero  to  associate  and 
mix  with  his  own  company,  but  will  drive  them  off  at  the 
cost  of  life. 

He  never,  in  the  darkest  night,  loses  sight  of  his  leader, 
which  is  always  a  white  horse,  or  mule,  and  in  the  morning, 
when  each  ariero  goes  in  search  of  his  animals,  each  will 
find  his  own  clustered  around,  or  in  sight  of,  their  particu- 
lar leader.  The  mule,  however,  is  a  despiser  of  his  own 
species,  and  in  his  love  for  the  horse  will,  day  and  night, 
fight  for  the  nearest  sociable  position  with  him.  But,  per- 
haps, the  reader  may  think  I  am  jesting  ;  yet,  if  he  will  take 
a  trip  to  Mexico,  he  will  find  that  I  have  not  told  all  for 
fear  of  incredulity. 

The  town  of  Topic  is  a  rich  jnineral,  situated  upon  a  high 
mountain,  fifteen  miles  north  of  Caneles.  It  is  a  place  of 
great  antiquity,  and  has  three  times  been  destroyed  by  the 
Indians ;  to  this  day,  bars  of  silver,  that  were  buried  under 
its  ruins,  arc  found ;  while  silver  bullets  are  ploughed  up  in 
the  fields.  Since  I  have  mentioned  the  subject  of  plough- 
ing, I  will  remark,  that  I  made  inquii'ies  as  to  the  mode  of 
cultivating  the  land  in  the  cold  regions  of  Madre  Monte, 
and  was  informed,  that  there  lived  in  those  mountains  some 
Indians  who  have  not  been  civilized,  who  are  in  the  habit 
of  planting  their  corn  to  a  depth  beyond  the  influence  of  the 
cold.  Sometimes,  I  was  told,  they  were  known  to  have 
planted  the  grain  as  low^  as  two  feet  under  the  earth,  and  if 
it  should  germinate  and  sprout  to  the  surface,  before  the 
seasons  of  frost  has  passed,  and  be  nipped  down,  the  warm 
earth  beneath  would  nourish  the  roots,  and  cause  them  to 
again  grow  up  to  perfection.  Thus  while  the  roots  of  com 
are  in  a  warm  region,  the  stalk  and  fruit  are  nourished  in 
a  colder  clime. 

The  Indians  were  the  first  cultivators  of  corn,  and  well 


T  R  A  V  E  L  S   I  N   M  E  X  I  C  O  .  001 

understood  its  nature ;  and  I  was  struck  with  the  probable 
correctness  of  the  philosophical  reasoning  of  the  aborigines. 
I  remembered  well  the  time  of  having  read  in  agricultural 
works,  that  roots  of  corn  would  penetrate  to  unknown 
depths,  and  the  ostensible  reason  of  the  phenomenon  at  once 
appeared  to  me.  The  root  was  seeking  a  warmer  element 
downwards,  so  as  the  more  effectually  to  cast  upwards  its 
genial  nourishment  to  the  stalk. 

My  journey  down  the  river  was  three  days  in  continu- 
ance, and  when  I  emerged  from  between  the  two  cerroes,  it 
was  a  source  of  much  rejoicing  to  me ;  for  it  would  be  dif- 
ficult for  any  one  to  imagine  its  disagreeableness,  who  never 
has  had  the  misfortune  to  travel  through  water  and  over 
rocks,  for  that  length  of  time.  If  their  animals  are  not  shod, 
their  feet  soon  become  tender,  and  the  fatigued  traveller 
finds  that,  besides  being  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  pro- 
gressing slowly,  he  cannot  help  sympathising  with  his  dis- 
tressed beast ;  Vv^hile,  at  the  same  time,  he  is  obliged  to  drive 
the  barbarous  Spanish  spur  into  his  sides. 

The  view  of  open  space  was  never  more  beautiful  or 
welcome  to  my  sight.  The  forests  a  perfect  medley  in 
every  direction,  by  their  growth  being  so  indiscriminately 
mixed,  that  the  whole  woods  were  thickly  matted,  and 
almost  impenetrable,  save  by  the  paths  of  ancient  usage. 
The  birds,  too,  of  many  descriptions,  strange  to  me,  were 
merrily  singing — the  flocks  of  paroquets  of  many  species, 
drowning,  by  their  wild  and  frantic  screams,  the  melodies 
of  the  other  portion  of  the  feathered  tribe.  There  were 
some  birds  that  particularly  attracted  my  attention — the 
Chechalaca,  or  pheasant;  to  me  it  resembled  more  the 
guinea  fowl  than  any  other  bird  I  was  acquainted  with,  be- 
ing symmetrically  and  beautifully  proportioned — its  plumage 
was  dark  with  slight  variations  of  shade,  and  although  wild 
in  its  native  state,  no  fowl  is  more  capable  of  being  render- 
ed domestic. 

The  Gonaco  attracted  my  attention  from  its  peculiar 
21 


322  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

habits.  It  seemed  to  indulge  in  hallooing  a  sound  that  re- 
sembled its  name,  and  was  seldom  observed  to  feed ;  it  is 
said  of  these  birds  that  they  build  their  nests  of  a  poisonous 
root,  only  to  be  found  in  these  habitations ;  and  it  is  un- 
known whether  it  originates  from  the  bird  itself,  or  else  it 
alone  possesses  the  secret  of  the  locality  of  the  plant.  This 
root  is  said  to  be  a  specific  remedy  for  the  sting  of  the 
alicran. 

My  interpreter  had  seen  much  of  New  Mexico,  and  from 
his  acquaintance  with  the  trappers  of  the  north,  was  pos- 
sessed of  a  fund  of  anecdote  very  interesting  to  me,  during 
my  journey — one  of  which  he  related  to  me,  which  deeply 
engaged  my  attention  and  feelings,  as  a  remarkable  tale  of 
love.  A  trapper  had  taken  to  himself  a  wife,  with  whom 
he  lived  for  several  years  in  the  utmost  confidence  and  af- 
fection. The  woman  not  only  loved  her  lord,  but  adored 
him,  as  being  vastly  her  superior.  Her  only  care  was  to 
cultivate  maize — to  dry  his  meats — stretch  his  skins — and 
to  neatly  keep  their  little  wigwam,  to  please  her  beloved 
white  man.  But  the  faithless  husband,  discontented  with 
the  pearl  of  great  price,  was  tempted  by  other  beauties,  and 
took  to  his  lodge  another,  whose  loveliness  seemed  to  please 
him  better.  The  old  incumbent,  without  expressing  her 
sorrow,  at  once  departed ;  but  after  the  lapse  of  several 
months  returned.  She  suddenly  appeared  under  the  roof 
where  alone  she  had  enjoyed  happiness.  The  trapper  and 
his  bride  were  taken  by  surprise :  he  at  once  beheld  the  al- 
tered features,  the  hollow  cheek,  the  sunken  and  fixed  eye, 
and  the  heart  of  the  man  relented.  He  kindly  spoke  to  her; 
but  her  grief  and  her  purposes  were  too  deeply  settled,  to  be 
then  cajoled  in  her  wrongs.  With  an  eye  riveted  upon 
him,  and  a  voice  that  faltered  from  the  pangs  of  a  broken 
heart,  she  said,  "  George,  I  am  going  to  die,"  and  before  the 
guilty  hunter  could  arrest  the  fatal  knife,  she  had  driven  it 
to  the  hilt  in  her  bosom,  and  expired  at  his  feet. 

On  the  8th   inst.  I  arrived  ai  the  town  of  Tamazula. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  303 

This  town  is  also  in  addition  called  the  Fortunate,  a  name 
bestowed  upon  it  by  Victoria,  when  President  of  Mexico, 
in  consequence  of  its  having  been  his  birthplace ;  however, 
agreeable  to  the  adage,  that  a  prophet  has  no  honour  in 
his  own  land,  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  chieftain  and 
president,  w-as  not  cherished  by  his  former  fellow-citizens, 
in  a  manner  that  reflected  glory  on  the  departed.  They  did 
not  hesitate  to  affirm  that  his  successful  career  commenced 
by  his  having  been  a  high-way  robber.  The  town  contain- 
ed about  one  thousand  inhabitants,  and  exhibited  symptoms 
of  a  rapid  decline,  by  the  appearance  of  the  houses  in  every 
part  of  the  city,  which  seemed  to  be  in  a  falling  condition. 

I  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  hospitality  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Tamazula.  Sr.  Don  Morillo,  the  Prefect,  would 
not  consent  that  I  should  board  at  any  other  than  his  own 
house;  while  the  Curate  gave  a  brilliant  ball,  to  which  I  was 
invited.  Although  the  Curate  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  about 
sixty  years  of  age,  his  person  was  singularly  well  propor- 
tioned and  handsome.  His  elegance  of  manners  and  splen- 
did waltzing,  appeared  to  me,  notwithstanding  he  was  a 
curate,  to  be  more  becoming  in  him,  than  any  other  individual 
I  ever  beheld.  Two  of  his  daughters,  as  also  one  of  the 
priests  of  the  town,  were  at  the  entertainment.  The  young 
ladies  were  as  modest,  beautiful  and  accomplished  as  any 
others  I  saw ;  insomuch  that  they  far  eclipsed  all  others  in 
the  room,  on  that  truly  joyous  occasion. 

It  may  appear  remarkable  to  the  Christians  of  the  United 
States  that  the  clergy  of  Mexico  should  have  children,  but 
I  can  assure  them,  that  they  may  have  no  doubt  on  that 
score ;  for  no  truth  is  of  more  acknowledged  publicity,  and 
nothing  is  more  common  than  for  the  favourite  unmarried 
wives  to  live  with  the  holy  fathers — at  the  same  time  their 
families  are  better  educated  and  provided  for,  as  a  commu- 
nity, than  any  others  in  all  Mexico. 

I  was  informed  by  Mr.  John  Russell,  an  old  Englishman 
of  Zacatecas,  that  the  curate  of  Tamazula  was  a  remarka- 


324  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

bly  honest  and  discreet  man,  in  all  his  transactions;  agree- 
able to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  country, — for  by  no 
other  standard  can  an  European  or  a  North  American  judge 
of  ]\Iexi(:ans,  but  by  the  contrast  of  the  habits  of  some  with 
others,  in  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  their  national  cha- 
racter. They  are  entirely  independent  of  all  the  world  else, 
in  their  religious,  political  and  social  relations — having  at 
the  same  time  all  of  the  institutions  of  the  rest  of  civiliza- 
tion,— yet  differing  materially  in  their  practice  of  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  them ;  their  teachers,  the  priests,  and 
the  old  Spaniards  causing  them  to  believe  that  they  are  the 
perfection  of  creation,  and  that  it  is  their  high  prerogative 
to  make  all  mankind  bend  to  their  supremacy,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  religion  of  Christ,  the  Apostles  and  the  Pope ; 
in  order  to  answer  their  own  selfish  purposes.  I  have  not, 
for  the  life  of  me,  been  able  to  discover  from  M^hence  those 
enlightened  and  refined  people  have  derived  their  power,  to 
be  the  best  commentators  on  ethics,  expositors  of  law,  and 
arbitrators  of  social  compacts. 

Tamazula  is  situated  on  what  is  called  the  Tamazula 
river ;  it  being  the  same  stream  that  floods  out  of  the  Madre 
Monte,  upon  which  Caneles  is  built ;  but  from  the  junction 
of  the  Umaya  with  it,  it  assumes  the  name  of  Culiacan,  and 
continues  to  be  a  deep  broad  stream,  until  it  arrives  upon 
the  plain  next  to  the  ocean.  It  there  sinks,  and  is  absorbed 
by  the  sand ;  and  mouths  in  the  Pacific — an  insignificant 
and  diminutive  river. 

The  city  of  Culiacan  is  situated  near  the  union  of  the 
above  named  rivers.  It  contains  about  five  thousand  in- 
habitants, and  is  the  capital  of  the  department  of  Sinaloa. 
The  city  does  not  differ  in  its  appearance,  or  in  the  charac- 
ter of  its  people,  from  any  other  capital  of  Mexico.  But 
there,  as  in  the  other  cities,  the  priests,  with  their  broad 
brimmed  shovel  hats,  and  the  mihtary,  have  congregated  to 
take  care  of  the  souls  and  weal  of  their  dear  people !  General 


TRAVELS  IN   MEXICO.  onr 

Urea  is  the  appointed  king-bird   of  the  corn-crib  in  that 
department. 

Cosala  is  a  town  about  one  day's  travel  from  CuHacan, 
and  from  Cosala  it  is  but  two  days'  journey  to  the  port  of 
Mazatlan  on  the  Pacific  ocean.  Mazatlan  is  entirely  de- 
fenceless from  the  surges  and  winds  of  the  ocean,  not  pos- 
sessing any  of  the  attributes  of  a  good  harbour,  and  is  un- 
safe for  shipping,  by  its  having  a  large  rock  immediately 
before  the  town,  upon  which  vessels  founder  in  time  of 
storms.  However,  Mazatlan  is  the  principal  commercial 
port  on  the  Mexican  coast,  on  the  Pacific  ocean.  It  con- 
tains about  five  thousand  inhabitants,  composed  of  every 
people  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  seems  to  have 
been  an  attractive  point  for  all  the  varieties  of  the  human 
family.  I  imagine  that  the  same  number  of  people  can 
hardly  be  found,  where  there  is  such  a  farago  of  complex- 
ions and  tongues. 

Mazatlan  is  the  principal  stopping  point  in  a  voyage  from 
China,  by  way  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  to  the  United  States 
and  Europe.  The  scale  and  the  shell-fish  of  the  Pacific 
coasts  are  abundant  and  excellent.  There  is  a  blue-gilled 
oyster  caught  upon  this  coast,  equal  to  any  of  those  in  the 
Chesapeake  bay.  The  Mexicans  of  the  Pacific  have  a 
manner  of  preserving  them,  different  from  any  other  mode 
I  ever  heard  of.  Immediately  upon  taking  them  from  the 
water,  they  are  thrown  upon  the  fire,  and  when  roasted  un- 
til the  shell  opens,  the  oyster  is  salted  and  dried.  Put  up  in 
this  manner  it  will  soundly  keep  in  any  climate,  just  like  the 
mackerel  that  are  barreled  up  in  salt. 

On  the  plains  of  the  Pacific  coast  I  enjoyed  perspiration, 
the  atmosphere  being  more  dense  and  humid  than  in  the  in- 
terior, and  the  heights  of  little  elevation.  Instead  of  the 
south-west  winds  having  always  a  refreshing  coolness  in 
them,  it  was  not  unfrequently  the  case  that  they  resembled 
the  monsoons  of  the  east. 

Guadaloupe  de  Calvo  is  a  town  of  about  ten  thousand  in- 


oog  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

habitants.  It  is  situated  about  two  days'  journey  north  of 
Tamazula.  It  is,  I  was  informed,  of  only  ten  or  twelve 
years'  existence,  and  its  great  population  can  only  be  ac- 
counted for  from  the  fact  that  people  congregate  at  'such 
places  where  minerals  are  in  successful  operation.  The  sil- 
ver mines  here  are  worked  by  an  English  company,  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  John  Buchan.  The  mines  yielded 
very  profitably,  but  the  ore  was  becoming  poor.  The  en- 
terprising agent  informed  me  that  it  was  his  intention  to  seek 
new  veins,  and  abandon  those  of  Guadaloupe  de  Calvo. 

The  houses  of  Guadaloupe  are  covered  with  shingles,  and 
the  windows  had  sashes  and  glass  in  them,  as  the  English 
were  the  first  builders  there,  and  besides  timber  is  plentiful 
in  the  mountains. 

The  mountain  regions  around  Guadaloupe  abounded  in  veiy 
rich  silver  ore.  An  English  gentleman  related  to  me  an  in- 
teresting account  of  the  richest  vein  of  silver  perhaps  that 
was  ever  opened.  At  a  place  called  Refugia,  (the  refuge,) 
an  Indian,  who  followed  the  trade  of  making  pack-saddles, 
having  ascended  a  mountain  in  search  of  a  particular  kind 
of  grass,  which  he  used  for  the  purpose  of  stuffing,  per- 
ceived, under  a  turf,  a  rock  matted  to  a  bunch  of  roots. 
Upon  examining  the  stone,  he  found  that  it  was  heavier  than 
rocks  of  that  size  generally  are,  and  exhibited  the  specimen 
to  a  Spaniard,  who  informed  him  that  it  was  one-half  silver. 

The  liberal  Indian  told  the  Spaniard  where  he  had  made 
the  valuable  discovery,  and  oflTered  him  a  free  gift  of  one 
half  of  his  right  in  the  mine.  The  partners,  with  buoyant 
hopes,  commenced  proving  the  value  of  their  enterprise-^ 
which  resulted  in  the  entire  vein  being  one-half  silver,  and 
the  other  half  stone.  After  they  had  extracted  several  mil- 
lions of  dollars  of  the  precious  metal,  the  mine  became  im- 
poverished, and  was  abandoned,  and  the  Indian  and  his 
partner  were  left  worse  oft'  than  when  they  first  began  to 
try  their  fortune.  They  were  remarkably  industrious  in 
squandering  their  money  faster  than  it  could  be  dug  from 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ggw 

the  earth.     The  Spaniard  is  no  more;  the  poor  Indian  is 
yet  alive,  and  a  beggar  at  Mazatlan. 

The  inland  road  to  California  is  direct  from  Guadaloupu 
de  Calvo,  north-west  to  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  river, 
where  it  enters  into  the  Gulf  of  California.  This  way  is 
like  the  most  of  all  others  of  the  Mexican  roads,  being  noth- 
ing more  than  Indian  trails,  travelled  only  by  animals,  and 
never  by  carriages. 

The  country  between  Guadaloup6  de  Calvo  and  the  Col- 
orado river  is  much  infested  by  the  Apache  Indians,  who 
are  very  barbarous,  often  cutting  off  the  nose  and  ears  of 
travellers,  close  to  the  head,  and  then  turning  them  loose  to 
their  fate. 

The  ports  of  Mazatlan  and  Guaymas  are  the  usual  ports 
of  embarkation  to  Lower  and  Upper  California,  by  the  way 
of  the  ocean.  But  as  I  have  preferred  to  comprehend  my 
observations  on  California  in  a  supplement  to  my  journal, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  their  perusal  as  thus  embodied. 

By  the  25th  of  April,  I  returned  to  Caneles.  My  journey 
to  the  tierra  calienta  (the  hot  region)  had  been  a  very  pleas- 
ing one ;  for,  while  there,  the  pores  of  my  skin  had  been 
opened,  and  instead  of  looking  and  feeling  as  if  I  should  dry 
up  like  a  chip,  as  in  the  arid  elevations  of  the  Cordilleras,  I 
enjoyed  a  healthful  glow,  with  sometimes  a  profuse  perspi- 
ration upon  the  surface,  which  caused  my  whole  system  to 
feel  as  if  I  had  been  turned  loose  from  a  prison-house,  for 
the  benefit  of  free  respiration. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  tierra  calienta  differ  very  much 
in  their  appearance  from  those  of  the  tieiTa  frio  and  the  ti- 
erra templado,  the  cold  and  the  temperate  plains.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  hot  clime  are  of  a  darker  tinge,  excepting  those 
who  with  care  confine  themselves  to  the  shade.  With  these 
the  continued  perspiration  has  the  effect  of  purifying  and 
bleaching  the  cheeks.  There  was  another  marked  differ- 
ence observable — although  the  major  part  of  the  population 
had  not  such  robust  frames,  nor  looked  so  healthy,  there 


328  TRAVELS     IN     MEXICO. 

were  more  persons  of  plethoric  habit  in  the  hot,  than  either 
of  the  other  regions. 

The  table  lands  are  healthy,  the  people  mostly  dying  of 
old  age.  A  barber  of  a  northern  department  shaved  me, 
who  was  said  to  be  ninety  years  of  age.  This  man  said 
he  had  been  barber  and  chamberlain  to  two  of  the  viceroys 
of  Mexico.   His  hand  was  steady,  and  his  deportment  firm. 

The  ladies  of  Mexico  consider  the  hair  of  their  heads  one 
of  the  most  attractive  ornaments.  It  is  only  in  the  tierra 
calienta  that  it  can  grow  to  perfection,  sometimes  reaching 
to  the  ground ;  and,  when  dishevelled,  covering  the  whole 
body. 

I  have  never  yet  learned  from  philosophy  or  philosophers, 
why  it  is  that  upon  the  same  latitudes  of  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  coasts,  the  thermometer  ranges  many  degrees  higher 
on  the  latter  than  on  the  former  sea-board.  By  survey,  it  is 
estimated  that  the  Pacific  is  higher  than  the  Atlantic,  and 
consistent  with  both  theory  and  well-known  experience  other- 
wise, the  greater  elevation  is  colder  than  the  lesser.  Is  it 
because  the  snow-capped  mountains  of  ^he  greater  altitude 
are  upon  the  Atlantic  coast,  extending  to  the  atmosphere 
there  a  cooling  efficacy,  which  cannot  reach  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  continent  ?  Possibly  the  fixed  laws  of  the  at- 
mospheric currents,  from  the  ice  regions  of  the  poles,  may 
sweep  stronger  from  north  to  south,  and  v/ce  versa,  upon  the 
Atlantic  shores.  As  it  is  not  within  my  humble  sphere  to 
divine  the  results  of  philosophical  causes,  I  shall  leave  my 
inquiry,  if  worthy  of  attention,  to  be  responded  to  by  those 
who  are  practical  on  such  subjects. 

Business  demanded  that  I  should  not  long  repose  from 
travel,  and  accordingly  on  the  29th  instant,  I  departed  from 
Caneles  for  Guanosebi.  My  route  lay  across  the  Madre 
Monte,  but  in  a  different  direction  to  the  one  I  had  pre- 
viously travelled,  being  to  the  north-cast.  I  was  unaccom- 
panied by  an  interpreter;  consequently  my  conversation 
with  the  Mexican  gentleman  who  accompanied  me  was  ex- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  3^ 

pressed  in  a  very  laconic,  and  often  in  an  unintelligible 
manner;  so  much  so  that  I  became  disgusted  with  its  disa- 
greeableness,  and  abandoned,  for  six  days,  speaking,  unless 
when  necessity  obliged  me.  After  sleeping  six  nights  in  the 
open  air,  I  arrived,  on  the  seventh  day,  at  the  place  of  my 
destination,  a  town  containing  between  two  and  three  thou- 
sand inhabitants. 

In  whatever  condition  I  w^as  placed,  I  found  in  the  face  of 
nature  some  loveliness  to  admire,  or  some  curious  phenom- 
enon upon  which  to  speculate.  While  extended  on  my  back 
on  the  ground,  with  my  face  towards  the  sky,  when  camp- 
ing out,  the  remarkable  moon-shine  of  Mexico  never  failed 
to  absorb  my  attention.  It  differs  from  the  light  of  the  sun, 
only  in  that  the  latter  has  always  a  red  glare  of  burning 
brilliancy,  while  the  soft  and  silvery  light  of  the  moon  is 
brilliant  enough  to  enable  the  beholder  to  see  almost  as  dis- 
tinctly as  by  the  illuminating  rays  of  the  king  of  the  day. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that,  in  a  tropical  and  arid  region, 
the  moon  does  light  the  earth  more  brightly  than  is  the  case 
in  a  less  elvated  and  more  northern  latitude.  Would  that  I 
were  able  to  describe  a  Mexican  moon-shine !  Without  a 
cloud  to  spot  the  sky,  the  stars  twinkle  more  brightly  in  her 
absence.  They  are  more  numerous,  and  display  themselves 
in  more  clusters  than  are  seen  through  our  humid  at- 
mospheres. The  vision  takes  hold  of  objects  far  removed, 
and  with  a  discrimination  nearly  equivalent  to  that  afforded 
by  the  light  of  day — the  air  is  clear,  as  when  in  the  morn- 
ing the  moment  preceding  the  rising  of  the  sun  in  the  full 
blaze  of  light.  The  atmosphere  is  always  mild  and  balmy 
at  night,  and,  in  the  warmer  valleys,  the  gentle  zephyrs 
floating  over  the  plains  are  congenial,  aflbrding  an  enjoy- 
ment which  in  truth  renders  it  a  luxury  to  repose  under  the 
canopy  and  protection  of  heaven. 

At  Guanosebi  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  with  Mr.  Bu- 
chan,  who  was  on  a  visit  to  that  place,  to  try  experiments 
on  the  silver  ore  there.   All  of  the  rocks  upon  and  under  the 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

surface  of  the  earth,  partake  more  or  less  of  silver.  Mr. 
Buchan  informed  me  that  he  should  open  a  mine  at  that 
place,  which  he  thought  would  be  profitable.  To  him,  and 
also  to  his  Mexican  lawyer,  who  seemed  to  be  very  much 
of  a  gentleman,  I  was  under  obligations  for  their  liberal 
aid  in  endeavouring  to  accomplish  an  unsuccessful  litiga- 
tion with  a  citizen  of  that  town. 

After  the  general  and  the  priest,  the  lawyer  is  the  most 
formidable  personage  in  Mexico.  Mr.  Buchan  related  that, 
in  consequence  of  the  many  difficulties  which  originate  in 
transacting  business  with  the  Mexicans,  he  found  it  to  be 
a  matter  of  both  importance  and  profit  to  employ,  continu- 
ally, on  behalf  of  the  company,  a  lawyer ;  by  doing  which 
he  only  found  it  necessary,  in  the  commencement  of  diffi- 
culties with  obstreperous  customers,  to  call  into  his  presence 
his  lawyer,  and  all  obstacles  were  removed. 

On  the  second  day  after  I  had  commenced  my  return 
to  Caneles  from  Guanosebi,  we  suddenly  came  in  view  of 
an  extensive  field,  and  my  Mexican  friend,  and  all  of  the 
servants,  in  one  voice,  exclaimed — "  Santa  Anna's  hacienda 
campus !" — They  seemed  to  be  more  rejoiced  than  if  the 
property  had  belonged  to  themselves.  To  me,  it  was  ano- 
ther convincing  proof  of  the  undying  attachment  of  the 
Mexican  people  for  their  tyrant. 

The  brilliancy  of  his  bloody  exploits,  and  his  chicanery 
and  art,  by  which  he  has  subdued  them  to  his  wall,  has  filled 
the  inhabitants  with  awe  and  reverence,  which  ever  will 
result  in  that  renowned  chieftain  being  their  master.  If  at 
any  time  a  sudden  revolution  should  displace  him,  it  must 
be  but  temporary ;  for  no  sooner  can  he  pitch  his  squadrons 
in  the  field,  than  the  dread  of  his  anger  and  terrible  revenge 
will  subdue  his  enemies,  and  quiet  his  countrymen,  (as  has 
always  been  the  result  of  his  politic  conduct,)  who  will  fall 
down  at  his  feet  and  cry — Hail,  Dictator ! 

The  officers  of  the  government  are  all  of  his  own  crea- 
ting— his  generals  are  the  governors  of  cities  and  depart- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO 


331 


raents,  and  of  his  own  appointing. — And  although  they  may, 
at  the  outset,  have  joined  the  standard  of  the  revolutionary 
party,  yet,  no  sooner  do  they  behold  Santa  Anna's  banner 
floating  in  the  breeze  than  they  will  forsake  their  sacred  ob- 
ligations, vowed  to  constitutional  liberty,  and  fly  to  the 
usurping  master  they  were  pledged  to  conquer.  Away 
with  the  mockery  of  presidential  and  dictatorial  chiefs ! — 
Call  not  a  military  despotism  a  republic! — The  lovers  of  free- 
dom scorn  the  deformity. — Make  Santa  Anna  king — empe- 
ror ! — and  no  matter  how  hard  he  may  goad  a  people,  too 
base  to  be  sensible  of  their  own  wrongs,  and  too  treache- 
rous to  defend  their  public  institutions. 

While  upon  my  journey  I  met  with  the  courier,  who  in- 
formed my  companion  that  many  murders  had  recently 
been  committed  by  the  ladrones,  on  the  public  high-ways  ; 
and  also  that  Santa  Anna  was  preparing  for  a  war  with  the 
United  States  and  England  at  the  same  time.  The  courier 
seemed  to  have  no  apprehensions  of  defeat  on  his  master's 
account,  but  appeared  to  be  well  assured  that  Mexico 
would  triumph  in  the  contest. 

The  mails  of  Mexico  are  most  generally  carried  by  In- 
dians on  foot,  who  transport  them,  from  post  to  post,  more 
speedily  than  it  could  be  by  horses.  An  Indian,  freighted 
only  with  his  small  wallet  of  corn-meal,  and  his  little  pack- 
age of  letters,  will  take  his  straight  course  over  mountain, 
hill  and  dale,  that  cannot  be  travelled  by  animals,  and  by 
that  means  shorten  the  distance,  overcoming  space  in  a 
manner  wonderful  to  be  related.  The  robbers  never  molest 
them,  for  money  is  never  carried  in  the  mails,  or  the  In- 
dians possessed  of  valuables. 


332 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Return  to  Canelcs.  Apaclie  Indians.  Two  small  boy.i  of  tender  years.  Commence  my  re- 
turn jom-ney.  Manage  two  men  better  than  three  or  si.x.  Pioneer  round  my  camp.  The 
Madre  Monte  pass.  Ladrones  on  the  way.  How  to  know  ladi'ones.  Received  at  Duran- 
go.  ]\lr.  Charles  E.  Bowes.  An  individual  who  has  been  long  from  home.  Two  new  ser- 
vants. Departure  from  Diii'ango,  My  servants  not  good  packers.  Arrived  at  the  hacienda 
campus  de  la  Casa  Blaiica.  Irrigating  dam  of  water.  Corn-field.  Pastoral  lands.  Spec- 
ulation in  old  horses.  Purchased  two  pack-mules.  A  mule  runs  away.  A  nearer  and  better 
route.  Storm,  and  hospitality  of  a  Mexican.  Wet  condition  of  my  cargo.  Descending  to 
a  lower  region^  Distress  and  hazard.  Slejit  in  a  separate  rancho.  A  signal  given.  Defeat 
of  contemplated  attack.  Arrived  at  the  mineral  town  of  Matehanla.  Discharged  my  ser- 
vants. Wealthy  Mexican.  An  American.  Summons  before  the  Alcalde.  The  law-stiit 
determined.  Second  summ.ons  before  the  Alcalde.  Aresentation  of  my  commission.  News- 
paper from  the  U.  S.  Texians.  President  Tyler.  An  old  Spaniard.  His  daughter.  Fruits 
and  vegetables. 

I  returned  to  Caneles  on  the  25th  of  May,  not  without 
having  incurred  the  hazard  of  battle  with  the  Apache  In- 
dians, as  it  was  said  by  the  people  living  east  of  the  Madre 
Monte,  that  that  tribe  had  supplanted  the  Camanches,  and 
were  infesting  the  mountains. 

Having  taken  under  my  charge  my  two  nephews — small 
boys  of  tender  years — and  having  resolved  on  returning  to 
the  United  States ;  at  one  time  I  contemplated  embarking 
from  the  port  of  Mazetlan  to  my  far  distant  home,  but  the 
idea  of  twice  crossing  the  equator,  and  living  five  or  six 
months  on  the  ocean,  made  me  abandon  that  project. 

I  therefore  determined  that,  without  delay,  as  the  rainy 
season  was  rapidly  approaching,  I  would  hazard  my  desti- 
ny in  a  journey  across  the  continent  to  the  port  of  Tampico 
on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  that  journey  seemed  to  be  the 
least  fraudit  with  evils. 

In  accordance  with  my  last  resolve,  having  closed  my 
business  at  Caneles,  I,  on  the  30th  of  May,  commenced  my 
return-journey  to  Tampico,  distant  from  Caneles  about  se- 
venteen hundred  miles.  In  consequence  of  my  former  dif- 
ficulties with  interpreters,  I  was  unwilling  to  employ  one. 
Having  learned  also,  by  experience,  and   the  many  fatal 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


333 


casualties  which  had  happened  to  others,  the  danger  of  hav- 
ing a  large  body  of  armed  servants,  1  resolved  to  employ 
but  two,  this  number  being  less  by  one  than  I  should  have 
had ;  however,  it  was  my  opinion  that,  in  case  of  conspiracy, 
I  could  manage  two  better  than  three. 

,  One  of  my  servants  was  a  good-looking  man,  of  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  and  had  been  recommended  to  me  as 
being  trust-worthy ;  the  other  was  a  younger  man,  of  his 
selection,  being  his  compadre,  or  god-brother. 

While  travelling  in  the  mountains,  where  I  was  obliged 
to  sleep  under  the  canopy  of  the  heavens  for  my  house-top, 
and  the  Madre  Monte  for  my  bed  of  down,  I  informed  my 
two  men  that,  when  the  hour  of  repose  had  arrived,  they 
must  not  rise  from  their  serapis  unless  called  to  do  so  by 
me ;  and  told  them  if  my  orders  were  violated  they  must 
take  the  consequences.  I  had  obtained  an  abundance  of 
China  tea,  and,  after  my  nephews  had  been  put  into  their 
carteras,  and  the  servants  had  reclined  upon  the  earth,  I 
took  good  care  to  keep  my  large  tea-pot  at  the  fire,  and  at 
intervals,  during  the  whole  night,  I  freely  indulged  in  drink- 
ing the  beverage.  It  was  my  determined  policy  never  to 
let  my  men  know  when  I  slept ;  and  what  more  astonished 
me  than  any  thing  else  was  that,  in  the  extremity  of  the 
excited  condition  in  which  each  night  would  find  me,  I  had 
perfect  control  of  my  waking  and  sleeping  moments.  My 
belt  of  arms  could  not  have  weighed  less  than  eight  or  ten 
pounds,  yet  I  never  unbuckled  it  from  my  body ;  and,  after 
the  fatigues  of  the  day,  I  would  rise  from  my  couch,  re- 
peatedly during  the  night,  to  see  that  all  was  well,  and  pio- 
neer round  my  camp;  on  every  such  occasion  I  would, 
solitary  and  alone,  take  a  hearty  draught  of  my  strong 
green  tea. 

While  seated  near  the  burning  faggots,  and  the  low  night- 
breeze  was  sighing  through  the  tall  forests  of  the  mountains, 
by  the  cheerful  exhilarating  excitement  which  the  tea  pro- 
duced, I  thought  of  the  friends  with  whom  I  once  revelled 


334  TRAVELS  IN   MEXICO. 

over  the  wine-glass ;  and  I  was  reminded  often  of  the  fa- 
miliar ballad : 

"  Oft  in  the  stilly  night, 

Ere  slumber's  chains  have  bound  me, 
Fond  memory  brings  the  light 
Of  other  days  around  me,"  &c. 

The  Madre  Monte  passed,  I  lodged  for  the  last  time  at 
the  village  of  the  Boca  de  la  Santa  Cataline,  on  the  17th  of 
June.  On  the  24th  I  arrived  in  safety  at  the  city  of  Du- 
rango;  though  not  without  having  twice  encountered  la- 
drones  on  the  way.  The  first  time,  my  company  being, 
fortunately,  increased  by  being  joined  to  that  of  other  tra- 
vellers, prevented  the  robbers  from  making  an  attack :  the 
second,  in  which  I  at  one  time  almost  gave  our  chance  up, 
I  w'as  so  well  seconded  by  my  old  servant,  who  showed 
such  strong  symptoms  of  fight  when  the  ladrones  made 
their  first  demonstration  of  attack,  that  the  day  was  our 
own.  Hostilities  commenced  by  the  ladrones  brandishing 
their  weapons,  and  shouting  and  twirling  their  lassoes  in 
the  air ;  while  they  rode  around  us  in  a  circuitous  direc- 
tion. 

When  the  traveller  thus  beholds  his  assailants,  he  must, 
without  hesitation,  show  his  foe  by  his  preparations  and 
bold  stand,  that  he  will  never  surrender,  and  dare  them  to 
battle ;  they  will  then  suppose  that  the  booty  to  be  gained 
may  not  be  worth  the  hazard.  They  will  sheer  off  and  soon 
be  lost  entirely  to  sight.  However,  when  the  traveller,  on 
such  an  occasion,  has  exhibited  his  willingness  for  action, 
and  the  enemy  does  not  retreat,  but  continues  to  keep  up 
the  charge,  he  must  not  lose  the  most  suitable  moment  to 
fire  upon  the  foremost  of  the  party.  The  best  aim  is  at  the 
horn  of  the  saddle,  for  a  side  or  front  shot. 

I  was  received  at  Durango  by  my  acquaintances  with  the 
same  hospitality  and  attention  which  had  characterized  my 
first  visit.     It  was  my  good  fortune  to  meet,  on  this  occa- 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  qqc 

sion,  a  fellow-countryman,  Mr.  Charles  E.  Bowes,  an  artist 
from  St.  Louis,  Mo.  His  talents  were  doing  him  much 
credit  in  Mexico,  and  he  had  the  promising  hopes  of  a  rich 
reward  for  his  adventurous  enterprise. 

Through  Mr.  B.  I  obtained  some  intelligence  from  the 
United  States,  it  being  the  first  news  I  had  received  for 
several  months.  He  informed  me  that  when  he  left  home, 
it  was  his  intention  to  spend  the  winter  in  New  Orleans,  and 
showed  me  letters  of  introduction  he  had  received  and  taken 
to  that  city.  One  of  them  was  from  F.  W.  Risque,  Esq.,  a 
lawyer  of  St.  Louis.  The  well-known  handwriting  of  that 
gentleman,  seen  unexpectedly  in  a  foreign  country,  touched 
the  feelings  of  my  heart,  for  he  had  been  my  early  play- 
mate, and  we  had  grown  to  manhood  together,  being  the 
nearest  neighbours  in  old  Virginia. 

An  individual  who  has  been  long  from  home,  and  is 
fatigued  with  travel,  is  the  first  person  to  seek  pleasure,  as 
well  as  to  recognise  any  thing  locally  Xamiliar  or  national. 
On  my  arrival  at  Durango,  I  again  patronised  the  De  la 
Santa  Paula  Meson.  No  sooner  did  I  dismount,  than  my 
host  informed  me  that  there  were  two  other  Americans  with 
him.  They  proved  to  be  Mr.  W.  H.  Folly,  the  India-rub- 
ber man,  and  Mr.  J.  R.  Hamblin,  the  Achilles,  who  fired  a 
cannon  from  his  shoulder,  and  pulled  against  two  or  more 
horses.  On  the  26th  inst.,  Sunday,  their  exhibition  was  to 
come  off  at  the  Plaza  de  los  Torres,  which  I  attended.  It 
was  truly  surprising  to  witness  the  unbounded  admiration 
expressed  by  the  spectators.  But  while  the  American  per- 
formers attracted  the  attention  of  the  Mexicans,  my  own 
was  by  the  performances  of  the  native  clown,  who  had 
robed  himself  like  a  saint,  bound  his  head  with  a  wreath, 
and  painted  his  face  white.  If  the  limit  of  decency  would 
permit,  my  readers  would  be  more  astonished  at  a  synopsis 
of  his  address  to  an  audience  of  five  thousand  persons,  than 
the  citizens  were  at  the  show. 

The  performances  concluded,  I  accepted  an  invitation  to 


ggg  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

a  ride  in  the  Alemade ;  but  after  the  coach  had  passed  a 
few  times  round  the  place,  it  came  in  contact  with  another 
vehicle,  the  result  of  w^hich  was  to  break  down  both,  in  ac- 
cordance, I  thought,  w'lih  my  usual  fate  in  carriage  riding ; 
there,  before  thousands  of  people,  the  pleasure  excursion  ter- 
minated. At  night,  in  company  with  my  friend  Mr.  Bowes, 
I  visited  the  theatre,  and  there  enjoyed  the  sight  of  the  nu- 
merous and  splendid  assembly  of  ladies,  more  than  I  did  the 
dull  prosy  performances.  The  prompter  was  stationed  im- 
mediately in  front  of  the  stage,  and  read  every  syllable  of 
the  play,  while  the  actors  mouthed  the  words  after  him. 

At  the  city  of  Durango  I  obtained  two  new  servants,  as 
my  Caneles  men  would  not  further  leave  their  homes.  My 
friend  Mr.  Stalknit  drew  off  the  articles  of  agreement  be- 
tween us — one  of  which  was,  that  I  should,  on  their  return 
journey,  give  them  a  horse  each.  Every  preparation  being 
made,  upon  the  28th  inst.  I  departed  from  Durango.  I 
chose  a  direction  to  the  left  of  that  which  I  had  formerly 
travelled ;  yet  my  course  was  due  south  ;  I  had  been  parti- 
cular in  obtaining  from  an  individual  a  way-bill  of  my 
route,  with  the  names  of  places  I  could  stop  at,  each  a  day's 
journey  apart. 

I  had  not  travelled  more  than  two  days  before  I  disco- 
vered that  my  servants  were  not,  or  pretended  not  to  be, 
good  packers,  for  my  mules  seemed  to  be  suffering  much 
from  their  cargoes.  My  suspicions  were  at  once  aroused, 
for  1  well  knew  that  Mexican  servants,  who  were  in  the 
habit  of  travelling,  understood  how  to  load  an  animal.  My 
men  had  besides  been  recommended  to  me  as  being  the  best 
of  arrieros.  Howev^er,  in  eight  days  time,  I  arrived  at  the 
Hacienda  Campus  Casa  Blanca,  the  estate  of  the  White 
house.  The  journey  was  fatiguing,  and  my  horses  and 
mules  were  much  jaded  by  the  trip.  So  I  determined  to 
remain  a  few  days  at  that  place. 

At  Casa  Blanca  the  buildings  were  good,  and  my  quar- 
ters excellent.     The  estate  was  under  the  best  improved 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  oo^ 

condition  of  any  that  I  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  in 
all  Mexico.  In  the  first  instance,  there  Avas  an  irrigating 
dam  of  water,  one  league  and  a  half  in  extent.  It  was 
formed  by  a  wall  of  earth  and  stone,  built  from  hill  to  hill, 
and  was  filled  by  the  rains.  The  water  had,  up  to  the  time 
of  my  visit,  been  turned  from  it  in  a  stream  of  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter,  for  a  period  of  six  weeks,  to  water  the 
various  parts  of  a  corn  field — two  leagues  and  a  half  square. 

The  water  .was  conducted  over  the  land  by  canals,  and 
turned  upon  the  furrows  by  flood  gates  at  intervals,  the 
canals  running  along  the  higher  elevation  of  the  farm. 
There  was  corn  sealed  up  in  many  cone-like  houses  of  from 
one  to  three  years  of  age.  There  were  other  extensive 
lands  used  for  pasturing  purposes,  upon  which  hundreds  of 
animals  grazed.  There  was  at  the  principal  granary  a 
stack  of  what  the  Mexicans  call  fodder,  at  least  fifty  feet 
high  and  three  hundred  in  length.  Oca,  fodder,  in  Mexico 
is  the  stalk  with  the  blade  not  cured  separately,  but  cut  all  to- 
gether. 

Indeed,  I  have,  in  the  hot  damp  valleys,  seen  corn  that 
had  been  thickly  sown  for  the  purpose  of  making  fodder. 
The  estate  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and 
speculating  citizens  of  Mexico.  I  was  inform-ed  that  he 
once  bought  two  thousand  old  horses,  at  two  dollars  each, 
and  that  when  they  were  boiled  into  soap,  they  averaged 
him  fifteen  dollars  apiece. 

At  Casa  Blanca,  in  consequence  of  the  injuries  my  ani- 
mals had  sustained,  I  purchased  two  excellent  pack  mules. 
I  did  not  at  that  place  exchange  my  Durango  servants,  as  I 
had  an  opportunity  of  doing,  fearing  that  if  I  did,  I  might 
only  be  turning  loose  two  knaves  to  follow  me,  at  the  same 
time  I  would  only  have  two  others  of  a  like  character  in  my 
employment.  Thus  conditioned,  I  again  commenced  my 
journey,  intending  not  to  rest  until  I  should  reach  Mate- 
haula,  distant  six  days  journey  from  Casa  Blanca. 

Upon  my  set  out  from  the  rancho  of  the  white  house,  I 
22 


338 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


experienced  a  vexation,  which  uUimately  resulted  fatally  to 
one  of  my  mules.  My  servants  had  chosen  to  pack  the  ani- 
mal which  I  had  only  recently  purchased,  with  a  cargo,  and 
when  my  caravan  was  put  in  motion,  the  w^ild  animal, 
being  turned  loose,  with  the  usual  shrill  whistle  and  whoop, 
instead  of  keeping  company  with  the  rest,  bounded  over  the 
plain  with  the  speed  of  a  greyhound ;  and  every  moment  I 
expected  my  trunks  would  be  burst  open,  and  my  money 
and  goods  scattered  over  the  ground.  However,  the  beast 
was  with  some  difficulty  lassoed,  and  all  was  righted ;  but 
not  before  its  loins  had  been  so  injured  by  the  shifting  of  its 
load,  that  the  poor  beast  fell  powerless  to  the  earth.  It  was 
as  fine  an  animal  of  the  kind  as  I  ever  saw,  and  had  cost 
me,  on  the  day  previous,  twenty-five  dollars.  Its  cargo  was 
attached  to  another  mule,  and  we  proceeded  on  our  journey. 

About  mid  day  my  oldest  nephew,  whom  I  had  instruct- 
ed to  be  attentive  to  the  conversation  of  my  servants,  in- 
formed me  that  my  men  said,  that  they  would  not  travel  the 
way  I  had  directed.  Upon  my  charging  them  with  the 
fact,  they  insisted  that  they  knew  a  nearer  and  a  better 
route,  which  they  said  they  would  prefer,  for  my  benefit. 
I  peremptorily  said,  that,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  they 
were  not  to  deviate  from  the  carmino  real,  tlie  principal 
road,  and  that  I  would  hold  them  responsible  to  deliver  me 
at  the  different  houses  I  would  daily  direct  them  to. 

That  day's  journey,  to  my  great  joy,  put  me  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Cordilleras,  where  perhaps  lies  buried  more  of 
the  precious  metals  than  the  world  will  ever  have  industry 
sufficient  to  excavate:  for  it  seemed  as  if  a  continued  vein 
of  silver  ran  through  their  whole  extent.  I  was  rejoiced  to 
have  those  high,  romantic,  and  bright  silvery  mountains  to 
my  rear ;  for  while  locked  up  between  them  they  shut  off 
from  my  vievv^  the  oft-repeated  lingering  looks  that  I  would 
cast  towards  the  skies  that  hovered  between  myself  and  my 
own  distant  home.     The  waters  of  the  Atlantic  would  be  a 


TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO.  ooq 

blessing  to  my  sight,  while  the  shores  of  the  United  Stales 
promised  to  be  my  elysium  upon  earth. 

The  night  of  my  first  day's  travel  was  most  disagreeably 
spent  at  a  wretched  rancho  in  a  deep  glen.  I  had  directed 
my  servants  to  put  up  my  carteras  under  a  beautiful  mus- 
quiti  tree  that  stood  before  the  door  of  a  small  filthy  house, 
but  by  the  time  they  commenced  their  work,  a  cloud  sud- 
denly sprung  up,  and  the  kind  Mexicans  invited  me  to  lodge 
within  doors.  At  the  time  I  felt  very  grateful,  but  no  soon- 
er did  the  rain  begin  to  pour  down,  than  it  ran  through  the 
flat  roof  and  flooded  in  at  the  walls — while  I  sat  all  night 
with  my  youngest  boy  in  my  arms,  and  the  other  one  was 
laid  up  on  a  shelf.  I  only  thanked  God  that  the  frail  tene- 
ment of  dirt  did  not  tumble  to  the  earth.  My  principal  care 
was  to  preserve  my  arms  and  ammunition  from  being  dam- 
aged. I  therefore  had  my  guns  and  pistols  wrapped  up  in 
the  buffalo  robes  to  keep  them  dry :  at  the  same  time,  how- 
ever, I  did  not  part  with  those  around  my  body,  as  I  always 
regarded  them  as  my  best  friends.  The  buckle  of  my  belt 
was  never  disturbed,  except  to  draw  it  tighter,  when  I 
was  pinched  with  hunger,  or  overpowered  with  fatigue ;  in- 
deed, from  the  commencement  to  the  end  of  my  journey,  it 
was  lengthened  about  six  inches,  leaving  me  but  the  shadow 
of  my  original  self. 

The  next  day  dawned  clear  and  cloudless.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  wet  condition  of  my  cargo,  my  kitchen  suffering  the 
greatest  injury,  I  had  to  throw  away  my  stock  of  crackers 
and  dried  beef,  as  in  that  climate  such  articles  will  not  keep 
after  a  wetting.  Our  journey  lay  across  the  dominions  of 
the  Conde  de  Coral,  the  most  wealthy  of  all  the  citizens 
of  Mexico,  as  I  was  informed.  Ever  since  I  had  left  the 
Cordilleras  on  my  rear,  my  direction  v/as  a  little  south  of 
due  east.  As  I  progressed,  it  was  observable  that  I  was  ra- 
pidly descending  from,  an  elevated  to  a  lower  region ;  for 
the  towering  peaks  of  the  back-bone  mountains  were  lost  to 
my  view,  while  the  distant  points  of  others  would  anon 


340 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


show  their  lieads,  in  a  country  far  below  the  elevation  that 
I  was  on.  I  remarked  that  the  end  of  each  day's  journey 
would  place  me  upon  a  declivity,  beneath  that  of  the  for- 
mer one.  In  one  instance,  my  entire  day's  travel  was  in 
the  evening  closed  by  abruptly  descending  a  short  height, 
which  put  me  upon  a  plain  as  much  below  the  former  one, 
as  was  the  elevation  of  the  hills  to  my  rear.  You  are  right, 
Mr.  Kendall,  if  I  mistake  you  not,  (your  book  not  being  at 
present  in  my  possession,)  in  calling  those  tables  "  steps," 
for,  while  traversing  them,  I  felt  as  if,  had  I  only  had  on  the 
boots  of  the  famous  giant-killing  Jack,  I  could  have  strided 
down  them  as  nimbly  as  ever  you  yourself  descended  the 
marble  flight  of  the  St.  Charles  portico  at  New  Orleans. 

These  plains  are  chiefly  wooded  with  palm-trees,  appa- 
rently not  possessing  the  sterility  of  the  table  lands  of  the 
Cordilleras.  I  progressed  as  rapidly  as  circumstances  would 
allow,  not  alone  for  the  reason  that  I  wished  to  terminate 
my  general  distress  and  hazard,  but  also  the  more  especially 
on  account  of  my  apprehensions  with  my  servants.  Besides 
having  sufficient  convictions  of  the  evil  intentions  of  these 
men,  they  were  the  only  Mexicans  in  my  employment  who 
had  ever  presumed  to  be  impertinent  to  me.  Supposing 
that  I  was  bound  to  take  them  to  Tampico,  they  did  not  think 
I  would  discharge  them  on  my  arrival  at  Matehaula,  pro- 
vided they  spared  my  life  for  so  long  a  time. 

Their  criminal  designs  were  clearly  demonstrated  by  their 
every  act,  and  I  felt  convinced  at  the  same  time  that,  to 
part  with  them  before  I  reached  Matehaula,  would  only  be 
to  increase  my  dangers.  I  was  for  ever  on  the  alert,  day 
and  night,  knowing  that  my  safety  depended  on  showing 
the  ruffians  that  I  had  no  confidence  in  them,  and  at  every 
moment  held  them  at  defiance.  I  had  been  cautioned  to 
beware  of  my  servants,  by  an  old  Mexican  gentleman  at 
(yasa  Blanca,  who  instructed  me  never  to  sulfer  either  of 
them,  on  any  occasion,  to  ride  behind  me ;  or,  when  (he 
lasso  was  in  their  hands,  not  to  be  within  its  inffuence. 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO. 


341 


I  was  particular  to  make  my  servants  keej)  in  front  of 
me,  my  two  nephews  riding  in  the  centre  of  the  party, 
while  I  rode  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  in 
the  rear.  Thus  I  had  my  whole  caravan  perpetually  before 
my  eyes ;  having  the  advantage,  in  the  result  of  a  conflict, 
not  to  have  to  turn  or  wheel  to  meet  my  foe.  Upon  the 
fourth  morning  of  my  journey,  having  spent  the  night  pre- 
vious at  a  shepherd's  rancho,  I  discovered  after  about  an 
hour's  ride,  that  we  were  about  to  pass  a  narrow  defile, 
where  the  points  of  two  mountains  tapered  suddenly  tc  the 
plain.  It  happened  that  just  in  the  level  space  between  the 
heights,  my  men  dismounted  to  tighten  the  ropes  that  held 
the  cargo  of  one  of  my  mules,  and  in  doing  so  they  so 
frightened  the  rest  of  the  animals  that  they  left  the  road,  and 
scattered  in  the  thick  musquiti  growth.  I  immediately  unfas- 
tened my  double-barreled  gun,  and  springing  both  the  locks, 
made  a  brisk  and  circuitous  ride  to  head  my  animals  and 
drive  them  again  into  the  proper  track,  which  at  length  I 
succeeded  in  accomplishing.  At  that  moment  I  heard  a 
shrill  whistle  on  the  hill  to  my  left  hand  ;  I  instantly  wheeled 
to  a  half  face  to  the  men,  and  the  same  position  towards  the 
direction  whence  the  sound  proceeded.  My  servants  stood 
motionless  eyeing  me,  for  they  correctly  supposed  that  my 
first  shots  would  be  levelled  at  them.  Discovering  that  I 
held  them  at  bay,  I  quickly  looked  around  and  plainly  per- 
ceived the  broad  rim  of  a  Mexican  hat  behind  a  large  palm 
tree,  at  a  distance  of  about  thirty  yards  upon  the  hill.  I  di- 
rectly pointed  my  gun  at  the  tree,  and  exclaimed,  "  Ladrone, 
yo  estoy  fronte  combate  por  vida  e  proprledad  /"  ("  Robber, 
I  am  ready  to  fight  for  life  and  property.")  To  which  the 
man  behind  the  tree  responded,  "  Senor,  yo  estoy  unico  a 
porhre  pastor!"  "  (Sir,  I  am  only  a  poor  shepherd.")  I  di- 
rected  my  men  to  mount  and  go  ahead.  We  had  not  ad- 
vanced far  before  one  of  my  boys  called  out,  "  Mini  teo" 
("  look,  uncle.")  I  spurred  my  horse  forward,  when  up 
bounced  another  shepherd,  with  a  pistol  in  his  hand.     The 


342  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

man  seemed  to  be  much  alarmed,  and  was  soon  lost  in  the 
musquiti  bushes.  I  shall  never  have  a  doubt  that  my  ser- 
vants had  formed  a  conspiracy  v^^ith  the  shepherds  to  rob 
me ;  but  the  scoundrels,  discovering  that  their  designs  did 
not  operate  as  they  intended,  were  deterred  from  making 
the  attack  when  the  signal  was  given,  and  thus  I  escaped ! 

Upon  the  14th  day  of  June,  I  arrived  at  the  mineral  town 
of  Matehaula,  and  put  up  at  the  meson  de  los  Angelos,  the 
meson  of  the  angels.  Here  I  met  with  a  Mexican  whom  I 
had  seen  at  Durango,  and  also  an  American.  I  explained 
to  them  the  disagreeable  situation  I  was  in,  and  stated  that 
it  was  my  intention  to  discharge  my  servants,  sell  my  ani- 
mals, and  hire  an  arreiro,  who  could  give  good  bond  and 
security  for  my  safe  delivery  at  Tampico.  The  Mexican 
seemed  to  be  a  perfect  gentleman,  and  had  the  reputation  of 
being  wealthy,  and  therefore  honest,  as  they  say  in  Mexico, 
because  above  the  necessity  of  stealing.  However,  he  ap- 
peared to  take  a  lively  interest  in  my  welfare,  and  promised 
to  make  a  contract  for  me  with  an  arriero,  whom,  he  said, 
he  knew  well,  and  for  whom  he  would  also  enter  as  security 
on  a  bond  before  the  Alcalde.  Such  a  kind  offer,  and  so 
unexpected,  was  thankfully  accepted,  and  the  gentleman 
made  good  all  of  his  engagements.  My  American  friend 
likewise  put  himself  to  the  trouble  of  selling  my  cargo 
mules,  and  further  assisting  me. 

I  then  summoned  my  servants  to  a  settlement,  and  taking 
their  receipts  for  the  amount  of  money  due  them,  let  them  se- 
lect two  of  my  horses  for  their  return  to  Durango.  I  was 
certainly  obligated  to  furnish  them  with  a  horse  each,  but 
not  to  give  them  their  choice  of  my  animals,  and  I  would 
not  consent  they  should  have  their  own  selection.  Howev- 
er, they  summoned  me  to  appear  before  the  Alcalde,  to  show 
cause  why  they  should  not  have  my  best  liorses.  Although 
I  felt  satisfied  as  to  the  result  of  a  law-suit  with  Mexicans, 
it  being  always  decided  against  foreigners;  yet  I  determi- 
ned, for  the  novelty  and  experiment,  to  contest  their  claims. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  g^g 

My  friend,  the  American,  accompanied  me  to  the  Alcalde, 
and  acted  as  my  speaker  on  the  occasion,  being  very  fluent 
in  the  Spanish  tongue. 

The  case  being  opened,  the  Alcalde  demanded  to  know 
why  I  refused  animals  to  my  servants  ?  My  friend  replied 
that  I  had  not  denied  to  my  men  their  rights,  but  that  I  ob- 
jected thai  they  should  take  from  me  my  two  best  horses; 
that  he  himself  could  testify  to  my  having  given  them  the 
choice  of  three  animals,  nearly  as  good  as  my  best  ones, 
and  amply  able  to  carry  them  all  over  the  republic,  and 
more  my  contract  did  not  require  of  me.  He  then  exhibit- 
ed the  written  agreement,  with  the  signature  of  the  two  ser- 
vants affixed  thereto,  which  only  required  that  I  should  fur- 
nish two  horses,  for  their  return  to  Durango,  and  not  my  best 
animals.  He  also  stated  the  perils  and  injuries  I  had  re- 
ceived at  their  (the  servants)  hands.  The  Alcalde  respon- 
ded that  the  poor  fellows  should  have  good  horses  to  return 
home,  and  he  expected,  he  said,  that  the  animals  left  in  my 
possession  after  the  men  had  taken  their  choice  would  be 
good  enough  to  answer  my  purposes !  Thus  the  law-suit 
terminated.  Not  disappointed  with  the  decision  of  the  case, 
I  returned  to  my  quarters,  my  friend  accompanying  me, 
much  vexed  at  himself  for  his  not  being  a  better  lawyer. 

We  had  been  seated  but  a  few  moments  in  the  room, 
v/hen  a  Mexican  appeared  at  my  door.  He  was  dressed 
with  only  a  pair  of  scanty  pants  and  a  serapi,  which  was 
thrown  over  his  left  shoulder.  He  held  a  sword  in  his  right 
hand,  and  said  that  the  Alcalde  had  ordered  him  to  summon 
us  to  appear  instantly  before  him,  to  show  by  what  authori- 
ty we  were  travelling  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 

Such  a  mandate  took  me  by  surprise,  for  so  singular  a 
demand  had  never  before  been  made  of  me,  and  I  determi- 
ned to  meet  the  crisis  in  the  best  way  I  was  capable  of  do- 
ing. While  my  friend  had  retired  to  get  his  passport,  I  took 
occasion  to  doff  my  old  travelling  dress,  and  put  on  my  con- 
sulate uniform,  and,  both  being  ready,  we  bade  our  naked 


OA^  T  R  A  %•  E  L  S  IN   MEXICO. 

swordsman  to  lead  on.  As  we  passed  along  the  streets  tlie 
people  stared,  and  began  to  collect  in  groups,  while  many 
ladies  fairly  ran  out  of  their  houses  to  look  at  us. 

Arrived  at  the  Alcalde's  room  I  walked  boldly  in,  making 
my  sword,  which  I  used  like  a  cane,  jingle  upon  the  floor 
as  I  stepped  up  to  the  table,  behind  which  the  old  black- 
eyed  and  grey-headed  judge  of  law  and  equity  was  seated. 
The  old  fellow  was  very  obsequious,  and  seemed  to  count 
every  button  on  my  coat,  while  the  pens  dropped  from  the 
fingers  of  the  clerks.  The  consternation  was  laughably 
evident.  After  looking,  for  a  moment,  the  officer  of  justice 
in  the  face,  I  threw  him  my  commission,  reserving  behind 
my  exequaior,  to  see  if  he  knew  any  thing  of  his  busi- 
ness. He  unfolded  the  parchment  awkwardly,  turning  it 
over  and  over,  as  if  by  so  doing  he  could  make  Spanish  out 
of  it,  and  then  handed  it  to  his  chief-clerk,  who,  perceiving 
there  was  a  difficulty  in  it,  stepped  to  a  window  to  obtain  a 
better  light  on  the  subject.  He  then  turned  it  about  in  every 
direction,  and  endeavoured  in  vain  to  decipher  the  English 
of  the  commission,  now  holding  it  bottom  upwards,  as  often 
as  in  any  other  position.  His  eyes  at  length  caught  the 
name  of  "  Bocanegra,  Minister  of  Foreign  Relations,"  and, 
with  the  same  excitement  as  if  he  had  discovered  a  gold 
mine,  he  shouted  out,  "  Esta  bueno." — (it  is  very  good) — 
and  then  handed  me  my  document,  as  he  did  also  my  friend's 
passport,  w^ith  the  accompanying — Esta  bueno. 

My  friend  informed  the  dignified  Alcalde,  that  it  was  a 
very  serious  thing  to  insult  an  American  consul ;  and,  but 
that  I  was  a  good-natured  man,  I  would  forthwith  commu- 
nicate to  Santa  Anna  the  decision  he  had  made  in  the  case 
of  the  horse,  as  well  as  the  impertinent  demand  he  had 
made  of  me,  as  to  what  right  I  had  to  travel  in  Mexico. 
We  then  left  the  apartment  without  my  being  asked  for  my 
exequator.  The  contemptible  summons  of  the  Alcalde  I 
will  ever  remember,  as  the  most  amusing  incident  in  my 
life. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  345 

At  Matehaula  I,  for  the  first  time  since  niy  departure 
from  the  city  of  Mexico,  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  a 
newspaper  from  the  United  States.  My  friend  presented 
me  with  a  New  York  Courier  and  Incjuirer,  which  contained 
General  Jackson's  able  letter  on  tlie  subject  of  the  annexa- 
tion of  Texas.  At  that  time  I  also  learned,  for  the  first  time, 
that  Mexico  was  about  to  renew  the  war  with  Texas,  by 
marching  thirty  thousand  of  her  troops  into  that  country.  I 
could  but  have  many  feelings  of  sorrow  for  ill-fated  Texas, 
but  at  the  same  time  I  did  not  believe  that  the  government 
of  the  United  States  would  be  so  deficient  of  its  honour, 
its  interest  and  its  duty,  as  to  forsake  Texas,  and  suffer  her 
citizens  to  be  slaughtered  by  a  barbarous  foe. 

I  was  the  more  encouraged  in  this  opinion,  in  reading  the 
soul-stirring  response  of  the  French  minister  to  the  House  of 
Deputies  of  Mexico,  touching  the  cruel  and  revolting  inten- 
tions of  that  country  to  carry  on  the  war.  It  convinced  me 
that  the  civilized  world  would  not  quietly  behold  the  brave 
Texians  butchered,  regardless  of  the  laws  of  nations,  and 
the  sacred  principles  of  humanity. 

The  name  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  would 
have  descended  in  infamy  to  posterity,  if  he  had  not  inter- 
posed his  warning  voice  to  Mexico.  The  manly  decision 
of  character  of  President  Tyler,  upon  the  Texas  question, 
has  covered  him  with  glory  enough  for  any  one  man ;  and 
the  millions  of  people  who  will  inhabit  the  fertile  plains  of 
Texas  will,  through  all  time,  hail  his  memory  as  a  bold  de- 
fender of  all  that  is  held  dear  and  sacred  to  civilized  na- 
tions. 

There  lived  at  Matehaula  an  old  Spaniard,  who  took  up 
the  impression  that  I  w^as  a  doctoi;of  medicine.  He  invited 
me  to  his  house,  and  conducted  me  to  his  family  chamber, 
vhere  I  was  introduced  to  his  wife  and  several  other  ladies. 
From  thence  he  carried  me  into  a  large  saloon  that  was 
splendidly  furnished  with  furniture  from  the  United  States. 
From  the  ceiling  of  the  high  room  was  suspended  a  glass 


346  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

ship,  completely  rigged,  which  answered  the  double  purpose 
of  an  ornament  and  a  chandelier. 

From  tliat  room  he  took  me  from  one  apartment  to  an- 
other, until  we  at  length  entered  a  handsomely  furnished 
room,  having  a  bed,  on  which  was  a  lady.  Taking  me  by 
the  hand  he  conducted  me  to  the  bed-side  and  said,  "  There, 
what  do  you  think  of  her  ?"  The  poor  woman  seemed  to 
be  rapidly  breathing  her  life  away,  for  the  rattling  in  her 
lungs  could  be  h:"ard  at  several  paces  from  her.  She  pressed 
my  hand,  and  wished  to  know  her  malady ;  the  father  in- 
sisted also,  and  I  replied  that  it  was  consumption.  He  in- 
stantly seized  my  other  hand,  and  grasping  it,  said,  "  You 
ai'e  right,  for  my  daughter  has,  for  the  last  seven  years, 
been  lingering  under  that  disease — and  if  you  can  give  her 
a  healing  remedy  your  reward  shall  be  whatever  you  may 
ask."  1  made  my  several  excuses,  and  finally  relieved  my- 
self by  tacitly  promising  a  mixture. 

The  old  Spaniard  seemed  to  take  much  interest  in  me, 
visiting  me  often  on  that  day.  He  said  that  the  only  appre- 
hension he  had  of  my  safe  arrival  in  Tampico  was  that,  as 
the  Texian  war  was  to  be  renewed,  the  war-cry  of  the 
populace  and  the  army  there  would  be  "  Miierte  en  todo 
Americanos  r^  (Death  to  all  Americans  !) 

I  had,  ever  since  the  commencement  of  my  journey  from 
Casa  Blanca,  been  descending  to  a  hot  region,  and  at  Ma- 
tehaula  I  found  fruits  and  vegetables  in  abundance.  The 
sweet  orange  and  the  lemon,  the  pine-apple  and  the  banana, 
the  plantains,  plums,  pears,  peaches  and  water-melons  also 
were  abundant.  I  obtained  also  some  delightful  lettuce 
cucumbers  and  tomatoes,  which  I  found  most  congenial  to 
my  appetite ;  for  when  travelling  I  could  never  buy  vegeta- 
bles, excepting  in  the  towns.  But  I  must  be  permitted  to 
say  that,  at  Matehaula,  I,  much  to  my  regret,  consumed  the 
last  remainder  of  a  ham  which  I  had  purchased  of  a  French- 
man at  the  city  of  Durango,  at  the  dear  rate  of  five  dollars 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  g^iy 

and  sixty-two  and  a  half  cents.     It  weighed  ten  pounds  ten 
ounces. 

But  an  individual,  who  had  been  accustomed  all  his  life  to 
eat  good  bacon,  finds  that,  after  a  long  privation,  he  is  wil- 
ling to  pay  any  price  for  that  old  familiar  diet.  The  Mexi- 
cans are  not  fond  of  indulging  in  the  meat  of  hogs,  for  they 
say  that  devils  reside  in  them.  For  myself,  I  think  this  a 
great  mistake,  for  the  evil  spirits  must  have  come  out  of  the 
swine  creation,  and  taken  up  their  abode  in  the  hearts  of 
the  Mexicans  themselves — for  while  the  flesh  of  the  one  is 
healthy  and  good,  the  deeds  of  the  others  are  those  of  the 
devil.  If  a  problem  in  Euclid  can  be  more  satisfactorily  de- 
monstrated than  the  above,  then  I  shall  ever  have  a  doubt 
remaining  on  my  mind,  respecting  the  capacity  of  the  hu- 
man intellect  to  arrive  at  just  conclusions,  by  a  systematic 
course  of  reasoning. 


3i8 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AnitTos.  Dcjarture  from  Maiehniila,  Old  Spaniard  and  my  Amciiean  friend.  Picture  of 
ihe  ciiicifixiDi).  Beyond  the  confines  of  the  town.  Rancho  in  the  d( files  of  two  mountains. 
Opening  of  the  earth.  My  servants  diligent  and  faithful  men.  HoUingand  wooded  coun- 
try. One  of  my  men  a  merry  little  fellow.  Expertiiess  with  the  lasso.  Aherera  a  Spanish 
Jesuit.  Arrived  at  the  town  of  Tola.  Fertile  and  hilly  country.  A  mountain  cross.  A  Iiilly 
and  well-watered  valley.  Splendid  scenery.  A  grotto,  the  residence  of  a  saint.  Servants 
dismount.  A  saint  of  Socono.  The  rainy  season.  Occasional  r.tins.  Arrived  at 'I'am- 
pieo  a  ."ianta  Anna.  Custom-house  officer.  Meson  kept  by  Mons.  Constant  Marcuet. 
Meeting  with  Mr.  John  Fulton.  Situation  of  Tanipico.  Houses  and  plazas.  Santa 
Anna's  victory.  Capt.  F.  Cliase,  U.  S.  Consul.  Texas,  question  of  the  m  xt  session.  An- 
nexation of  upper  California.  Columbia  river.  Rail-road  to  New  Orleans.  Napoleon. 
An  examination  of  the  map.  Public  lands.  Monopoly  of  comtnerce.  Different  connex- 
ions. Annexation  of  Mexico.  Southern  boundary  of  the  U.  S.  No  limit  to  the  north. 
Hudson  bay  and  Mississippi  railroad.  Home  protection.  Free  trade.  Russian  pos- 
sessions 

OiV  the  morning  of  the  18th  inst.,  the  arrieros,  three  in 
number,  whom  the  pohte  Mexican  had  employed  to  trans- 
port me  to  Tampico,  arrived,  and  were  in  due  attendance 
to  receive  my  freight. 

The  old  Spaniard  and  my  American  friend  were  also  pre- 
sent to  witness  my  departure,  and  take  leave  of  me.  Hav- 
ing settled  my  meson  bill,  and  embraced  my  friends,  as  I 
was  riding  out  of  the  great  court  of  the  house  the  old  keeper 
ran  up  to  me,  as  is  often  the  custom  in  that  country,  and 
presented  to  me  the  picture  of  Christ  bearing  the  cross.  I 
well  understood  the  old  man's  object ;  it  was  his  last  oppor- 
tunity of  appealing  to  me  for  money.  It  is  always  expected 
that  he  who  presents  to  an  individual  the  print  of  a  saint, 
or  any  of  the  holy  family,  should  receive  more  or  less  change 
for  a  donation. 

The  wicked  thought,  at  the  moment,  occurred  to  me,  to 
pretend  not  to  understand  him;  and  I  asked,  if  the  picture 
was  intended  for  Santa  Anna?  He,  with  some  surprise, 
said  that  it  was  not.  I  then  inquired,  if  it  was  Bocanegra 
or  Tornel?  With  much  anger  he  denied  that  it  was  either, 
and  in  turn  asked  me  if  I  was  a  Jew?     He  said  that  the 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


310 

picture  was  Christo  mneslro  Salvador,  (Christ  our  master  and 
Saviour.)  My  American  friend,  at  that,  gave  me  to  under- 
stand, that  I  was  in  a  difFiculty.  I  took  the  picture,  looked 
at  it,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  threw  the  man  a  dacha, 
which  seemed  to  please  him,  and  I  departed. 

The  priests  in  Mexico  are  not  the  only  people  who  make 
a  commerce  of  their  religion.  It  is  the  privilege  of  any  in- 
dividual to  hawk  about  saints,  for  money-making  purposes. 
My  old  friend  on  foot  followed  me  beyond  the  confines  of 
the  town,  during  which  time  he  shook  my  hand  ihree  sever- 
al times.  Having,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner,  assured  me 
that  my  journey  would  be  a  safe  one,  he  ascended  a  mound 
of  earth  which  gave  him  an  extensive  view  of  the  plain, 
and  as  often  as  I  looked  behind  me,  I  could  behold  him  in 
the  same  position,  his  large  gold-headed  cane  glistening  in 
the  sun,  as  he  w^aved  his  hand,  the  peculiar  Spanish  signal 
of  adieu.  Our  course,  after  we  lost  sight  of  jMatehaula, 
was  due  east. 

The  night  of  the  18th,  I  spent  at  a  rancho,  situated  in  a 
defile  of  two  mountains,  at  which  place  I  witnessed  a  sin- 
gular phenomenon.  Before  reaching  the  house,  I  discover- 
ed that  the  narrow  plain  had  an  opening  extending  from 
mountain  to  mountain,  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  in 
breadth.  It  seemed  as  if  the  Aveight  of  the  mountains  had 
been  too  much  for  the  earth  to  support,  and  thus  cracked  it. 
The  Mexicans  who  lived  there  could  not  give  me  any  infor- 
mation as  to  how^,  or  when,  it  happened,  which  must  have 
been  during  the  convulsions  of  an  earthquake.  On  a  former 
occasion  I  witnessed,  about  ten  miles  north  of  the  city  of 
Durango,  a  place  where  a  large  portion  of  a  plain  had  sunk 
to  a  general  depth  of  twenty  feet  from  its  original  elevation. 
The  level  surface  of  the  plain  seemed  to  have  sustained 
no  injury,  while  all  along  both  sides  of  the  mountains  were 
plainly  perceptible  where  the  plain  had  abruptly  broken  ofi^, 
and  sunk  to  a  deeper  foundation.  In  lime-stone  countries,  as 


330 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO. 


tliat  is,  such  things  were  not  before  unknown — from  the  fall- 
ing in  of  the  earth,  to  the  great  cavities  beneath. 

My  servants  proved  to  be  diligent  and  faithful  men,  at- 
tending to  all  of  my  interests  with  strict  punctuality.  To 
employ  an  arriero  whose  personal  responsibility  is  such  as 
to  enable  him  to  give  security  for  the  safe  deliverance  of 
his  charge,  is  the  only  mode  by  which  freight  or  travellers 
can  be  transported.  The  arriero  then  has  every  thing  at 
stake,  and  it  may  be  expected  that  he  will  use  every  effort, 
even  at  the  hazard  of  his  life,  to  make  good  his  engagement 
— not  because  he,  in  his  peculiar  occupation,  is  more  honest 
than  others  of  his  countrymen,  but  for  the  reason  that  his 
obligations  would  make  him  the  loser  by  his  neglect  or  want 
of  bravery.  Arrieros  have  been  known  to  perform  their 
obligatory  duties  in  good  faith,  when  at  the  same  time  they 
have  plundered  others,  and  murdered  defenceless  travellers. 

For  seven  days  after  my  departure  from  Matehaula,  my 
direction  was  over  a  country  for  the  most  part  rolling,  and 
better  wooded  than  any  other  of  the  table  lands  I  had  seen 
in  Mexico.  Every  thing  seemed  to  pass  off  hiieno,  as  the 
clerk  had  it.  I  noticed  that  my  men  appeared  to  know  eve- 
ry person  they  met,  and  that  I  was  greeted  by  all  in  a  man- 
ner to  which  I  had  not  formerly  been  used  in  the  country. 
One  of  my  men  was  a  merry  little  fellow,  who  was  perpetu- 
ally whistling  and  singing.  He  was  very  expert  with  the 
lasso,  never  sutTcring  a  horse,  mule,  or  steer  to  escape  him. 
He  would  heave  at  all  animals  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
some  of  his  rencontres  were  very  diverting  and  exciting. 

The  precision  with  which  the  lasso  can  be  thrown  by  an 
experienced  hand  is  truly  astonishing,  for  it  matters  not  how 
swift  may  be  the  speed  of  the  animal,  he  can  be  taken  by 
any  limb  and  subdued.  My  man  could  catch  at  full  speed 
a  horse  around  the  neck,  and  at  the  same  time,  by  a  slight 
twirl  of  the  rope,  form  a  perfect  halter  around  the  head  and 
nose  of  the  beast. 

On  one  occasion,  not  having  live  stock  upon  which  to 


TRAVELS   IN  MEXICO.  gel 

practice,  he  discovered  a  dead  mule  lying  on  the  ])h\ln,  and 
cast  his  lasso  so  that  it  passed  under  the  head  of  the  pros- 
trate carcase,  galloping  off  and  dragging  it  after  him. 
Nothing,  he  said,  could  lay  so  close  to  the  ground  but  that 
he  could  take  hold  of  it  in  the  same  manner.  As  he  dra^r- 
ged  off  his  defunct  prey,  the  rattling  of  the  bones  within 
the  entire  skin  of  the  dead  mule,  caused  me  to  remember 
the  account  of  Aherera,  a  Spanish  Jesuit,  who  civilized  the 
Indians  of  Chihuahua.  He  was  interred  at  Santa  Cruz, 
where  he  had  died,  in  a  vault  of  one  of  the  churches.  Not- 
withstanding he  has  been  buried  two  hundred  years,  yet  he 
is  undecayed,  and  once  every  year  his  body  is  taken  out  of 
the  tomb,  dressed  in  his  priestly  gown,  and  set  up  in  the 
midst  of  the  congregation.  Mass  is  then  said  for  the  repose 
of  his  soul.  The  atmosphere  in  Mexico,  but  more  especial- 
ly in  the  more  arid  portions  of  the  country,  is  of  such  a  dry- 
ing nature  that  animal  matter  shrinks  and  dries  away,  rath- 
er than  consume  by  putrid  decomposition. 

On  the  25th  instant,  I  arrived  at  the  town  of  Tola,  a 
place  containing  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  and  situa- 
ted on  an  uneven  and  confined  narrow  slip  of  land,  between 
two  hills.  At  Tola  I  drank  some  excellent  water.  I  also 
bought  some  good  wine,  and  laid  in  a  plentiful  store  of  pro- 
visions, to  last  me  until  I  should  arrive  at  Tampico. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th,  I  again  commenced  my 
journey.  After  travelling  two  leagues  over  a  fertile  anl 
highly  cultivated  country,  I  discovered  that  a  mountain  of 
considerable  magnitude  lay  before  mc,  over  which  the  road 
wound.  My  journey  was  most  disagreeable,  for  the  recent 
rains  had  made  the  bla(.k  mould  of  the  earth  very  miry,  and 
between  mud  and  stone  alternately,  our  animals  progressed 
very  slowly,  and  with  much  difficulty.  Yet  my  journey 
was  not  without  its  interest,  for  the  mountain  was  covered 
with  the  most  magnificent  forest  of  live  oak  that  I  ever  be- 
held. 

After  fording  a  small  river  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 


352      '  T  R  A  V  E  L  S    1  N    M  E  X  1 C  O . 

we  travelled  along  an  uneven  and  well-watered  valley  for 
about  one  hour,  when  we  again  commenced  ascending  a 
higher  mountain.  So  precipitate  was  the  height,  that  one- 
half  of  the  day  was  consumed  in  gaining  its  summit  by  the 
zig-zag  and  narrow  path.  I  was  well  repaid  for  the  toil, 
for  my  eyes  never  before  feasted  so  ravishingly  as  upon 
that  occasion,  when  I  cast  them  upon  the  level  tierra  cali- 
cnte  below  me. 

The  rains  that  had  fallen  had  given  to  the  abundant  veg- 
etation a  most  perfect  green  aspect ;  while  the  farm-houses, 
with  their  sharp  thatched  roofs,  had  a  picturesque  and  ro- 
mantic appearance.  The  pleasure  I  enjoyed  at  beholding 
this  scene  was  short-lived,  as  the  most  desirable  blessings 
usually  are ;  for  I  had  to  proceed  in  my  downward  direc- 
tion, only  occasionally  obtaining  from  some  prominent  pro- 
jection a  bold  view  of  the  enchanting  landscape  beneath,  as 
it  were  to  cheer  my  hopes  of  reaching  some  elysium. 

Having  descended  about  half  way  down  the  steep,  my 
men  all  suddenly  dismounted,  when  I  perceived  other  tra- 
vellers on  foot.  I  was  not  long  in  discovering  the  object  of 
the  halt,  for  the  arrieros  gravely  took  off  their  hats,  and 
having  ascended  a  rude  flight  of  steps  for  about  twenty  feet, 
they  entered  a  small  cavern  in  a  large  rock,  and  kneeled 
before  an  image.  After  praying  devoutly,  each  one  left  a 
small  piece  of  money  on  a  niche  in  the  cave.  My  little  ne- 
phews, excited  with  awe,  were  desirous  of  following  their 
example,  and  I  gave  them  money  to  pay  for  their  orisons, 
believing  it  would  do  them  no  harm,  and  thinking  that  the 
necessity  of  prayer  instilled  into  their  young  minds  might, 
in  after  life,  be  of  valuable  consideration  to  them. 

Upon  inquiry,  I  ascertained  that  the  image  worshipped  in 
the  grotto  was  the  protecting  saint  of  travellers  against  la- 
drones.  Many  were  the  "  hair-breadth  'scapes"  related  of 
travellers,  through  the  instrumentality  of  that  deity.  Mar- 
vellous, indeed,  are  the  wonder-working  powers  of  many  of 
the  saints  of  Mexico  !     I  was  informed  of  one  of  these  who 


TRAVELS   I  N   ME  X  ICO.  050 

resided  in  a  chapel  at  the  village  of  Socono  Chihuahua,  who 
had  such  a  repugnance  to  being  taken  froni  her  home,  for 
supernatural  reasons,  that  every  bold  pretender  who  had  at- 
tempted it  was  either  struck  dead,  or  found  her  too  ponder- 
ous to  be  carried  by  human  strength. 

It  so  happened  that  a  Kentuckian,  who  had  strayed  by 
the  way  of  St.  Louis  and  Santa  Fe,  to  the  town  of  Passo 
del  Norte,  which  is  situated  contiguous  to  Socono,  hearing 
a  party  of  gentlemen  dilating  upon  the  tenacity  of  the  saint 
to  her  church,  could  not  perceive  how  a  wooden  figure  not 
larger  than  the  common  stature  and  proportion  of  a  woman, 
could  be  either  so  heavy  or  self-willed.  Agreeable  to  his 
habit  of  determining  difficulties,  he  asked — what  would  the 
crowd  bet  that  he  could  not  bring  her  from  the  chapel  into 
town  1  The  company  were  awe-struck  at  the  impiety  of 
the  man,  and  no  response  was  made ;  but  he  insisted  on 
knowing  who  would  lay  a  wager  for  his  purpose.  A  Mexi- 
can who,  like  himself,  could  not  resist  an  opportunity  of 
betting,  having  also  a  strong  faith  in  Saint  Ysidore,  took  up 
the  Kentuckian  for  an  inconsiderable  amount.  Prompt  to 
his  sacrilegious  purpose,  the  Kentuckian  mounted  his  horse, 
and  was  not  long  absent,  when  he  returned  galloping  into. 
Passo  del  Norte  with  Saint  Ysidore,  dressed  in  all  her  di- 
vine apparel,  seated  behind  him.  He  certainly  gained  the 
bet,  but  the  gathering  mob  informed  him  that  he  would  have 
to  fly  from  the  town  for  his  life. 

As  I  have  before  remarked,  my  return  journey  was  begun 
at  the  commencement  of  the  wet  season.  The  rains  are  in 
some  degree  periodical  during  the  day,  as  they  are  in  the 
months  of  the  year.  About  noon  clouds  are  perceived,  and 
the  traveller  can  bivouac  ;  by  the  hour  of  three  o'clock,  the 
tempest  of  rain  and  lightning  will  have  passed  over,  and 
the  traveller  can  again  proceed.  However,  in  the  month 
of  June,  the  first  of  the  three  wet  months,  the  rains  are  ir- 
regular ;  but,  when  they  do  fall,  they  pour  in  torrents  upon 
the  luckless  wayfarer,  cold  and  chilling ;  for  it  must  be  re- 
23 


Q54  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

membered  that  the  traveller,  previous  to  the  fall  of  wind 
and  rain,  was  scorched  with  the  burning  heat  of  the  sun — 
and  the  quick  transition  from  hot  to  cold  is  painful.  The 
hardy  little  mules,  during  the  storm,  will  refuse  to  progress, 
and,  with  their  faces  turned  from  the  pelting  blast,  will 
shiver  like  pointer  dogs. 

My  journey  for  seven  days  w'as  uninterrupted,  saving  by 
occasional  rains.  It  was  principally  through  a  flat,  hot 
country,  until  we  arrived  within  about  three  leagues  of 
Tampico,  when  the  land  became  undulating,  as  we  approach- 
ed the  sea-board.  The  coast  was  heavily  timbered  with 
iron  wood  and  fustic.  At  half  past  three  o'clock,  P.  M.,on 
the  31s't  of  June — a  period  long  to  be  remembered  by  me, 
as  terminating  my  journey  in  Mexico,  of  about  four  thou- 
sand miles,  I  arrived  at  Tampico. 

I  now  feel  convinced,  from  all  that  I  have  seen  of  the 
world,  that  it  is  only  necessary  for  an  American  to  go 
abroad  to  satisfy  himself  that  the  United  States  has  the  only 
free  and  happy  people  upon  earth,  while  their  country  is 
more  blessed  with  richness  of  soil,  the  abundance  of  water, 
and  purity  of  atmosphere,  than  that  of  any  other  clime  upon 
the  habitable  globe — and  that  all  her  imperfections  are  bless- 
ings, when  drawn  in  Vjold  contrast  with  the  institutions  and 
inhabitants  of  foreign  countries. 

I  was  met  at  the  suburbs  of  the  town  by  a  custom-house 
officer,  who  is  there  stationed  to  receive  arrieros  and  tra- 
vellers, and  was  escorted  into  the  city  of  Tampico  a  Santa 
Anna.  Having  passed  my  baggage  through  the  custom- 
house, I  then  hastened  to  the  meson  kept  by  Mons.  Constant 
Marcuct  and  his  lady,  who  were  German  French  by  birth, 
and  at  their  house  I  found  excellent  accommodations. 

At  this  meson  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  Mr. 
Andrew  Fulton,  a  fellow-countryman  of  the  state  of  Ohio, 
with  whom  I  had  travelled  from  Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans. 
Mr.  F.  was  an  enterprising  dealer  in  stock,  and  was  profit- 
ably engaged  in  making  shipments  of  horses  from  Ohio  and 


TRAVELS    IN   MEXICO.  35c 

Kentucky,  to  different  ports  of  Mexico.  His  adventure  this 
time  was  to  Tampico.  It  was  not  only  pleasing  to  mee* 
with  a  gentleman  Mith  whom  T  had  formerly  travelled,  but 
I  was  also  happy  in  learning  that,  like  myself,  he  should 
take  the  first  opportunity  of  returning  to  the  United  States. 

The  city  of  Tampico  is  delightfully  situated  upon  an  ele- 
vated promontory,  having  the  river  on  one  side  and  a  lake 
on  the  other.  It  contains  about  six  thousand  inhabitants; 
but  is,  like  Vera  Cruz,  annually  decimated  by  the  mala- 
ria vomito.  In  1843,  it  is  said,  two  thousand  of  the  popu- 
lation were  destroyed  by  the  yellow  fever.  Many  of  the 
houses  are  built  after  the  style  of  those  in  the  United  States, 
with  sharp  shingled  roofs;  I  saw  also  one  weather-boarded 
building. 

The  inhabitants  of  Tampico,  on  my  arrival,  were  much 
excited  by  the  reception  of  the  intelligence  of  the  execution 
(and  the  frying  in  oil  of  the  head)  of  General  Sentmanat  at 
Tabasco.  Such  a  deed,  approved  of  both  by  the  expressed 
language  of  the  public  prints,  as  well  as  by  the  sentiments 
of  the  citizens  of  Mexico  in  general,  the  civilized  world  can 
easily  judge  what  the  people  of  that  country  are.  Coeval 
with  the  reception  of  this  news,  the  arrival  of  some  twenty 
or  thirty  free  exiled  negroes  from  Havana,  elicited  much 
attention. 

There  are  four  large  plazas  in  Tampico.  The  one  on  the 
river,  fronting  the  custom-house,  is  the  principal  of  these. 
In  the  centre  of  it  a  costly  monument  is  being  erected  to 
commemorate  the  much-boasted  Mexican  chief  Santa  Anna, 
having  achieved  a  victory  over  the  Spaniards  in  the  last 
sad  effort  which  the  king  of  Spain  made  to  overpower  and 
subdue  his  former  colony. 

As  the  encampments  and  the  relative  condition  of  the  two 
belligerent  powers  were  shown  and  described  to  me,  by  an 
individual  who  witnessed  the  rencounter,  I  could  not  see 
that  the  fate  of  war  was  decided  in  favour  of  the  Mexican 
chief  by  any  bravery  or  wisdom  he  might  have  exercised ; 


3gQ  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

but  more  to  the  influence  of  the  vomito,  in  the  ranks  of  his 
enemies.  Spanish  gold  did  not  fail  to  have  its  influence 
with  thQ  patriot  and  defender  of  the  banner  of  liberty — for 
the  Spanish  General  secured  his  retreat  by  bribery,  when 
he  was  otherwise  entirely  helpless  and  hopeless. 

Captain  Franklin  Chase,  a  native  of  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
is  the  U.  S.  Consul  at  the  port  of  Tampico  a  Santa  Anna* 
His  able  official  returns,  as  published  by  order  of  the  go- 
vernment, are  sufficient  evidence  of  his  ability  as  an  officer, 
and  a  recommendation  of  himself  as  an  American.  I  found 
him  to  be  a  perfect  gentleman,  and  a  true  son  of  republican- 
ism after  the  school  of  his  own  country.  Captain  C.  could 
not  inform  me  who  were  the  candidates  of  the  approaching 
presidential  canvass  in  the  Union ;  but  he  gave  me  all  the 
particulars  of  the  exciting  Texas  question  up  to  that  time. 
He  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  upon  the  fourth  day  of  July. 
I  could  not  help  pledging  the  Consul  in  a  glass  of  wine, 
hoping  that  the  American  congress,  being  in  session,  w^ould, 
upon  that  great  day,  annex  our  sister  republic  to  the  United 
States. 

The  annexation  of  Texas  has  ev^er  appeared  to  my  mind 
to  be  necessary  to  the  general  prosperity  of  the  Union, 
the  location  covering  a  large  portion  of  our  defenceless  ter- 
ritory ;  while  at  the  same  time,  if  the  United  States  designs 
to  cherish  her  mnnufacturing  interests,  which  consist  princi- 
pally of  cotton  fabrics,  it  does  seem  to  me  to  be  all-import- 
ant that  our  government  should  extend  its  dominion  over 
the  territory  of  Texas.  It  is  conceded,  1  believe,  both  in 
Europe  and  America,  that  the  cotton  grown  in  Texas  is  of 
a  superior  quality  to  that  now  cultivated  in  the  southern 
states,  saving  the  very  small  and  inadequate  amount  of  the 
Sea  Island  cotton  of  South  Carolina;  and  therefore,  if  Texas 
should  not  be  able  to  maintain  her  independence,  and  be 
conquered,  or  annexed  to  any  other  foreign  power,  particu- 
larly any  of  the  manufacturing  nations,  such  as  England  or 
France,  the  manufacturers  of  the  United  States  would  be 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ogiy 

powerless,  for  they  would  not  be  able  to  turn  a  wheel  in 
competition  with  them,  by  having  to  pay  a  duty  upon  the 
raw  material. 

Again,  the  annexation  of  Texas  is  of  valuable  considera- 
tion, believing  that  the  public  mind  will  be  much  relieved 
upon  the  agitating  question  of  slavery  and  abolition — for  the 
increased  demand  of  slave  labour  in  Texas  will  so  com- 
pletely exercise  a  salutary  effect,  as  to  draw  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  coloured  population,  from  the  northern  slave 
states,  that  it  must  result  in  the  addition  of  seven  new  free 
states  to  the  glorious  confederacy  of  the  Union, — compre- 
hending that  vast  section  of  country  from  New  Jersey  to 
North  Carolina  and  Tennessee. 

Likewise,  as  a  gentleman  of  much  foresight  remarked  to 
me,  that  if  Texas  should  be  admitted  into  the  Union,  with 
restrictions  upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  the  extent  of  that 
country  would  be  curtailed,  for  the  fact  is  ostensible,  that  in 
the  existence  of  Texas  as  an  independent  country,  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery  could  not  be  controlled  w'ithin  her  dominions; 
but  if  connected  with  the  United  Slates,  its  latitudes  will  be 
circumscribed,  and  an  effectual  barrier  placed  against  it. 

I  am  not  alone  satisfied  with  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  United  States.  It  must  be  ostensible  to  all  who  will 
examine  the  map,  that  to  complete  geographical  limits  of 
the  south-western  portion  of  the  Union,  Upper  California 
must  also  be  annexed — first,  for  the  reason  that  the  United 
Slates  territory  of  Oregon  covers  so  small  an  extent  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  that  the  American  commerce  will  ultimately 
not  have  sea  room, — the  only  port  in  which  the  shipping  of 
the  United  States  can  anchor  upon  her  own  bottom,  being 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river — and  that  not  a  good 
harbour,  as  the  loss  of  the  Peacock,  an  American  ship  of 
war,  can  fully  testify.  Again,  American  shipping  and  com- 
merce would  ever  be  subject  to  vexatious  and  interfering 
restrictions,  from  the  fact,  that  the  Columbia  river  is  claimed 
by  the  English  to  be  the  boundary  between  the  Union  and 


358 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


Great  Britain,  and  that  power  would  therefore  exercise  a 
controUing  influence  and  dominion  over  one  half  of  the 
river. 

The  territory  of  Oregon  is  not  so  valuable  an  agricultu- 
ral region  as  Upper  California;  and  besides,  the  latter  has 
the  advantage  in  climate  as  well  as  in  a  horticultural  and 
mineralogical  point  of  view.  In  Upper  California  are  three 
of  the  best  ports,  and  the  only  harbours  for  shipping,  upon 
the  entire  coast  of  the  Pacific  ocean,  upon  the  continent  of 
North  America.  If  any  one  should  doubt  the  practicability 
of  a  rail-road  from  New  Orleans  to  the  Pacific  coast,  let 
them  read  Kendall's  expedition  to  Santa  Fe,  or  any  of  the 
accounts  of  the  St.  Louis  traders  to  that  place,  and  he  could 
not  have  a  moment's  hesitation  in  believing  all  that  may  be 
said,  regarding  its  easy  success,  as  also  the  importance  of 
accomplishing  such  a  design.  If  frail  and  heavily  laden 
wagons  can  be  drawn  between  the  above  named  places, 
without  roads,  over  the  plains  and  thence  to  the  Pacific,  it 
is  self-evident  that  a  rail-road  could  be  constructed  with- 
out difficulty,  or  what  an  engineer  would  call  a  single  ob- 
struction. By  an  examination  of  the  map,  it  will  be  per- 
ceived that  a  rail-road,  running  from  San  Francisco  to  New 
Orleans,  would  only  have  to  cross  the  head  waters  of  some 
of  the  streams  of  Texas,  and  if  any  of  the  shoots  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  should  prove  to  be  a  formidable  barrier,  it  can 
easily  be  discovered  that  the  road  could  escape  all  of  the 
waters  of  Texas,  and  passing  over  a  dry  country,  could  be 
carried  direct  to  Napoleon  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas 
river.  This  road  would  never  have  ice  or  snow  to  cover 
its  rails,  or  obstruct  its  passage,  but  could  perpetually  be 
travelled  at  all  seasons. 

This  should  be  a  national  improvement,  for  no  one  or 
more  localities  could  claim  exclusive  benefits,  or  receive  an 
aggrandisement,  apart  from  the  whole  Union.  And  there- 
fore, it  does  appear  to  my  mind,  that  it  would  be  advisable 
that  the  sales  of  the  public  lands  should  be  made  of  each 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  OKA 

state  and  territory,  and  appropriated  to  this  great  enter- 
prise,— and  thereby  prevent  a  monopoly  of  the  sales  of  land, 
and  the  tide  of  emigration  in  any  exclusive  section  of  coun- 
try. 

While  upon  the  Pacific  coast,  I  intiuired  of  an  American 
whom  I  met  there,  and  who  had  travelled  all  over  New 
Mexico,  if  it  was  his  opinion  that  a  rail-road  could  be  built 
from  San  Francisco  to  the  Mississippi  river?  He  replied 
that  *'  he  had  no  doubt  or  hesitation  in  saying  that  he  could 
drive  a  sulky  all  the  way  from  San  Francisco  to  New 
Orleans,  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  per  hour,  without  the  fear 
of  upsetting  it."*  When  a  road  has  been  constructed  from 
New  Orleans  to  the  Pacific,  the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio 
rivers  would  then  have  the  moiurpoly  of  the  commerce  of  the 
Pacific  ocean  I  which  would  also  control  that  of  the  world ! 
There  would  then  be  not  one  of  the  states  of  the  Union  but 
could  have  a  direct  trade  with  the  East  Indies,  China,  and 
the  Islands  of  the  Pacific.  The  south-west,  by  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico ;  North  and  South  Carolina,  by  the  Charleston 
and  Knoxviile  rail-road ;  Virginia,  by  her  rail-road  from 
Point  Pleasant  to  Lynchburg  and  canal  to  Richmond  ; 
Maryland,  by  the  Ohio  and  Baltimore  rail-road,  and  Ohio 
and  Potomac  canal ;  and  the  whole  northern  states,  from 
Pittsburg,  and  the  way  of  the  Lakes. 

In  the  place  of  its  requiring  a  tedious  and  a  dangerous 
voyage  from  any  part  of  the  United  States,  to  and  from 
Canton,  of  twelve  months,  passengers  or  freight  could  de- 
part from  Boston,  Mass.,  and  in  sixty  days'  time  be  landed 
in  any  port  of  China.  It  will  therefore  appear  obvious  to 
every  American,  that  it  is  first  important  to  obtain  a  good 
and  suitable  port  upon  the  Pacific  ocean  for  a  depot,  and  I 


*  My  thoughts  upon  a  Pacific  rail-road  had  all  been  written  out  while  in 
Mexico,  and  consequently  long  previous  to  the  petition  presented  to  Congress 
upon  that  subject,  by  Mr.  Whitney,  of  New  York. 


3gO  TRAVELS  IN    SI  E  X  I  C  O . 

know  of  none  better  or  so  direct  as  that  of  San  Francisco 
in  Upper  California. 

Some  hesitating,  or  fastidious  reader,  while  debating  in 
his  mind  the  feasibility  of  such  an  undertaking,  would,  per- 
haps, exclaim  to  himself,  "Where  is  ambition  or  annexation 
to  terminate — must  all  Mexico  come  in  too  ?"  I  would  re- 
ply. No  :  for  all  south  of  the  Rio  del  Norte  and  the  Califor- 
nias,  the  country  is  too  dry,  and  divested  of  agricultural 
advantages  to  be  desirable  to  the  North  American  or  the 
European.  It  is  necessary,  for  those  races  to  live  happily, 
that  the  land  should  be  cultivated ;  and  that  there  should  be 
water-power  and  fuel  for  the  uses  of  machinery,  and  these 
are  not  to  be  found  in  Mexico,  south  of  the  boundaries 
above  spoken  of  The  remainder  of  the  country  is  but  a 
barren  leg — not  Santa  Anna's  leg — of  the  North  American 
continent,  unprofitable  for  any  thing  else,  but  its  mines  of 
precious  metals ;  and,  as  the  Mexicans  are  very  good  mi- 
ners, and  fond  of  the  occupation,  I  am  unwilling,  for  one, 
that  any  other  people  should  be  corrupted  by  its  intoxicat- 
ing pursuits. 

Again,  the  Mexicans  are  a  different  race  of  beings  from 
those  of  the  United  States — being  only  Spanish  and  Indian, 
and  speaking  the  Spanish  language,  and  wedded  to  an  esta- 
blished religion.  While,  on  the  contrary,  the  inhabitants  of 
our  Union  are  composed  of  every  people  and  kindred  of 
the  whole  earth,  each  one  sitting  under  his  own  vine  and 
fig-tree,  and  enjoying  the  liberty  of  his  own  conscience. 
Tliey  would,  therefore,  tolerate  none  of  their  territories  in 
an  established  religion  of  worship,  by  law,  in  any  portion 
of  their  wide-spread  and  happy  dominions.  If  the  Mexi- 
cans could  become  Americanised,  and  would  pay  their  na- 
tional debt,  I,  again,  for  one,  should  have  no  objection  to 
them. 

Notwithstanding  I  have  had  the  presumption  to  afiix  a 
southern  boundary  to  the  United  States,  yet  I  am  far  from 
saying  that  it  should  have  a  limit  to  the  north  ;  for  I  verita- 


TRAVELS  IN   MEXICO.  g^i 

bly  believe  that  the  finger  of  God,  as  it  has  been  seen  in  all 
other  history,  is  in  it.  So  sanguine  is  my  faith  in  the  arri- 
val of  the  period,  wiien  the  American  flag  shall  mantle  the 
whole  of  North  America — not  only  the  Canadas,  but  the 
whole  of  the  British  possessions  on  the  continent  must  be- 
come annexed  to  the  United  States.  If  an  individual  will 
only  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  map,  he  will  at  once  behold, 
that  by  a  railroad,  connecting  the  head-waters  of  steam-boat 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi  river  with  the  Hudson's  Bay, 
the  North  Sea  will  have  an  internal  connection  and  com- 
merce with  the  grand  whole  !  And  thus  it  can  be  perceived, 
that  while  the  United  States  would  extend  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific,  the  star  spangled  banner,  instead  of  hovering 
over  a  few  states,  would  triumphantly  wave  from  ocean  to 
ocean,  and  from  sea  to  sea ! — May  God  speed  the  magnifi- 
cent consummation ! — for  the  United  States  would  then 
have  home  protection,  and  home  market,  without  the  enact- 
ing of  a  single  law ;  and  free  trade,  by  a  liberal  high-mind- 
edness,  should  hail  "  peace  on  earth  and  good-will  to  man  ;" 
while  a  prosperous  and  happy  world,  enlightened  by  true 
religion  and  constitutional  liberty,  will  sing  hosannas  to  the 
great  I  Am.  And  the  sons  of  Columbia  will  have  been  the 
instruments  of  these  great  works,  and  the  benefactors  of 
the  whole  human  family. 

Some  one  may  inquire, — What  would  become  of  the 
Russian  possessions?  I  think  T  may  safely  answer, — that 
while  the  TTnited  States  will  have  to  purchase  the  territories 
above  spoken  of,  by  the  generosity  and  friendship  which 
the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias  has  evinced  towards  the 
Union,  that  it  may  be  reasonably  calculated  on,  that  the 
Emperor  would  make  a  donation  of  that  useless  and  frozen 
slip  of  his  American  dominions  to  the  Union.  Or  else,  we 
could  easily  do  without  it,  and  remain  in  peaceful  satisfac- 
tion with  an  agreeable  neighbour. 

Nothing  can  be  so  complete  in  this  world  but  what  cri- 
tics can  discover  some  imperfections.     It  is  said  by  j>hilo- 


OQO  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

sophcrs,  that  the  earth  and  the  sea  are  diseased,  and  when 
the  angel  of  destruction  shall  descend  to  the  harvest  of 
death,  neither  priests  nor  physicians  can  heal — the  destined 
individual  must  journey  to  the  tomb. — Every  rose  must 
have  its  thorn,  and  every  sweet  its  bitter.  And,  notwith- 
standing fair  fancy  can  picture  to  the  beholder  the  unparal- 
leled prosperity  of  the  United  States,  and  the  before  unseen 
Temple  of  Liberty ;  yet,  there  is  a  canher  within,  and  the 
meddlesome  Puritan,  who  is,  by  his  generous  efforts,  at- 
tempting to  leaven  the  whole  lump,  will,  I  am  afraid,  often 
make  the  cake  all  dough.  Thus  I  have  spoken — as  the  In- 
dian chief  said  when  he  handed  the  calumet  to  his  neigh- 
bour, And,  as  the  old  woman  said,  when  she  had  no  meal 
to  bake  a  cake — I  shall  hope  for  the  best,  and  trust  to  God  ; 
for  he  can  work  when  the  wisdom  and  cunning  of  man  shall 
fail. 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


ao3 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

A  partiii,:;  word  to  the  An-ieros.  Captain  of  Banditti.  'I'lic  American  flag  at  tlic  mastliead 
of  a  scliooiier.  Drive  a  bargain  witli  tlic  tai)tain.  Meeting  at  the  consul's.  Contract 
conclnded.  Kctiiining  home  in  an  American  vessel.  Uritisli  steamer.  Set  sail.  Moiidi 
of  the  river.  Custom-honse  officer.  The  vessel  searched.  Officers  take  leave.  Pilot 
takes  us  in  tow.  Narrowly  escaped  foundering.  Captain  no  gentleman.  Injuries  sus- 
tained by  my  fellow-countrymen.  Unhappy  feelings.  Hesolve.  Same  way  of  defending 
myself  at  sea  as  on  land.  The  captain  alarmed.  Mr.  Fulton's  enjoyment.  Da/.xling 
luminary  of  the  light-house.  Walched  all  night.  Anchored  off  the  IJali/.e.  Embarka- 
tion in  a  small  buiit.  Perilous  voyage.  The  steamers  that  are  met  at  the  Balize.  Put 
to  sea.  Rudder  lost.  The  soutlierner.  Consternation.  N.  E.  Pass.  Steamer 
Fhcenix. 

In  the  opening  of  this  my  last  chapter,  I  will  take  the  oc- 
casion of  a  parting  word  as  to  the  arrieros  who  delivered 
me  at  Tampico.  I  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  manner 
in  which  the  Mexicans  had  performed  their  duty,  that  I 
mentioned  my  satisfaction  to  some  gentlemen  of  Tampico. 
On  informing  them  of  the  name  of  the  Mexican  of  Mate- 
haula,  who  had  done  me  the  kindness  to  employ  the  arrie- 
ros for  me,  they  expressed  themselves  much  surprised  ;  and 
affirmed,  that  my  Matehaula  friend  was  the  most  renowned 
captain  of  ladrones  infesting  that  portion  of  Mexico.  I  de- 
fended the  fame  of  my  friendly  Mexican,  by  expressing  the 
native  doctrine,  that  he  was  rich,  and  beyond  the  necessity 
of  dishonesty.  They  replied,  that  his  wealth  had  been  ob- 
tained by  robbery,  and  that  I  must  attribute  my  safe  deli- 
verance— not  to  the  good  company  that  I  was  in — but  to 
some  freak  of  fancy  in  the  captain,  who  had  put  me  under 
the  escort  of  his  well-known  and  chosen  men. 

The  kindness  of  the  Mexican  towards  me,  I  can  only  ac- 
count for  by  my  being  in  company  with  my  nephews,  to 
whom  he  paid  much  attention. 

On  my  arrival  at  Tampico  a  Santa  Anna,  it  was  with 
great  joy  that  I  beheld  the  American  flag  at  the  mast-head 


304 


TR.XVELS    IN    MEXICO. 


of  a  schooner  of  an  hundred  and  five  tons  burthen,  which 
was  taking  in  freight  for  the  United  States.  She  was  the 
same  vessel  that  Mr.  Fuhon  had  chartered  from  New  Or- 
leans to  that  port,  and  my  friend  proposed  that  we  should 
return  in  her.  I  had  no  objections  to  the  proposition,  pro- 
vided that  the  vessel  would  take  me  to  the  port  of  New  Or- 
leans, which  was  also  the  wish  of  Mr.  Fulton, 

Understanding  that  the  cargo  would  be  taken  in,  and  the 
schooner  made  ready  for  sailing  by  the  twenty  second  of 
Jily,  my  friend  and  self  went  on  board  to  drive  a  bar- 
gain with  the  captain  ;  which  only  resulted  in  his  proposing 
that,  on  the  following  morning  he  would  meet  us  at  the  of- 
fice of  the  United  States'  consul,  and  that  he  would  there 
abide  by  whatever  Captain  Chase  would  say,  as  to  the  price 
of  our  passage  to  the  Balize. 

At  the  appointed  time,  all  parties  having  met  at  the  con- 
sul's house,  it  was  agreed  that  Mr.  F.  and  myself  should 
pay  two  hundred  dollars  for  our  passage  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi  river.  Captain  C.  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  transaction,  as  the  schooner  had  been  consigned 
to  him.  But,  in  the  presence  of  us  all,  he  inquired  of  the 
captain  of  the  vessel  if  he  was  aware  that  his  schooner  be- 
ing freighted  for  New  York,  he  would  become  responsible 
to  the  underwriters  should  he  cast  anchor  in  any  other  port. 
The  captain  promptly  responded,  that  he  was  not  unacquaint- 
ed with  his  liabilities,  and,  as  his  ship  was  good,  he  had  no 
fears  of  his  cargo  being  damaged ;  and  he  could  not  resist 
the  opportunity  of  m  king  two  hundred  dollars,  which 
would  not  cost  him  the  loss  of  half  a  day's  time.  Thus 
our  contract  was  closed,  in  the  presence  of  the  American 
consul. 

I  have  been  particular  in  detailing  the  above  contract  in 
consequence  of  the  after  incidents  of  the  homeward  voy- 
age. I  felt  delighted  that  I  had  an  opportunity  of  retin-ning 
in  an  American  vessel — and,  notwithstanding  that  it  was 
small,  I  was  entirely  reconciled  to  undergo  all  of  the  incon- 


TRAVELS    IN    jM  E  X  1  C  O .  ogc 

veniences  that  such  a  craft  is  subject  to.  I  thought  of  the 
many  hazards  through  which  I  had  recently  passed,  in  my 
peregrinations  by  land,  and  I  felt  much  gratified  that  I  should 
be  under  the  protection  of  the  American  Hag,  and  have  a 
fellow-countryman  for  my  commander,  in  my  journey  at 
sea. 

It  was  true  that,  by  the  delay  of  a  few  days  more,  I  should 
have  the  chance  of  a  passage  in  a  British  steamer  by  the  way 
of  Havana — yet,  the  more  accommodating  mode  of  travel  I 
was  unwilling  to  wait  for,  as  the  Mexican  vomito  had  com- 
menced its  ravages  at  Tampico,  and  was  already  sweei)ing 
off  its  inhabitants,  by  giving  them  but  a  few  hours'  notice. 
Mr.  Fulton  and  myself  therefore  resolved  that,  at  any  cost, 
and  at  the  first  opportunity,  we  would  talsc  our  departure 
from  the  sickly  and  devoted  port  of  Tampico  d  Santa  Anna. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  instant,  our  anchor  be- 
ing weighed,  and  our  sails  set,  we  sailed  down  the  river 
seven  miles  before  we  came  to  the  gulf.  At  the  mouth  of 
the  river  we  were  hailed  by  the  custom-house  officers  and 
boarded  by  them.  The  commander  of  them,  was  the  same 
individual  who  had  escorted  me  into  the  city,  upon  my  ar- 
rival at  Tampico.  He  inquired  if  there  was  not  an  Ameri- 
can passenger,  who  had  two  small  boys  under  his  charge  ? 
I  presented  myself  before  him,  and  he  seemed  much  pleased 
to  meet  with  me.  After  some  compliments,  and  a  hearty 
laugh  respecting  my  long  beard  and  travelling  apparel,  in 
which  he  had  first  beheld  me,  he  and  his  companions  bade 
me  an  affectionate  farewell,  and  a  happy  voyage,  without 
having  searched  our  vessel,  as  was  their  duty  to  do  every 
vessel  previous  to  their  leaving  for  sea. 

The  captain  of  the  schooner  had  expressed  some  appre- 
hensions of  an  examination  of  his  vessel,  and,  after  the  de- 
parture of  the  polite  officers,  I  informed  him  that  he  owed 
all  of  his  thanks  for  his  escape  to  my  little  nephews. 

The  pilots  next  took  us  in  tow,  thirty  of  whom  were  seat- 
ed in  a  boat  behind  their  oars,  to  row  us   across  the  sand 


2QQ  TRAVELS  IN   MEXICO. 

bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Their  captain  said  that  the 
tide  was  at  ebb,  and  that  it  was  dangerous  crossing.  How- 
ever the  word  was  given,  and  up  went  the  anchor  and  sails, 
and  we  were  off  to  sea,  not  though  without  having  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  foundering. 

As  the  vessel  got  over  the  bar,  a  sea  came  and  rolled  her 
on  her  beam,  the  keel  striking  heavily  against  the  bottom  as 
she  surged,  which  motion  brought  every  soul  on  board  to 
his  knees,  or  prostrate  on  the  deck.  The  captain  shouted 
out,  in  a  voice  of  despair,  that  we  were  lost ;  but  the  good 
schooner  in  her  next  plunge  passed  the  bar,  and  did  not 
again  strike. 

The  bar  crossed,  the  captain  of  the  pilots  informed  us 
that  it  was  customary  for  captains  of  vessels  to  treat  the 
pilots  to  whiskey  or  money,  after  performing  their  hard  task. 
Our  captain  said  that  he  had  neither  money  nor  spirits,  but 
that  there  were  two  passengers  on  board  who  had  some 
wine,  and  perhaps  they  would  treat  the  pilots.  I  unhesita- 
tingly replied  to  the  unthinking  and  penurious  commander, 
that  he  was  certainly  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  I  would 
deprive  myself  and  my  little  family  of  a  few  bottles  of  wine 
which  I  had  procured  for  a  sea-voyage.  The  request,  or 
hint  of  the  Captain  was  an  ill  omen  to  me  of  the  hands  I 
had  fallen  into,  and  the  pilots  departed  without  their  accus- 
tomed beverage  or  pay. 

The  disappointment  of  my  not  finding  the  captain  of  our 
vessel  a  gentleman,  was  exceedingly  mortifying  to  me,  for 
the  otherwise  disagreeableness  of  my  situation  was  to  be 
enhanced  by  my  being  under  the  command  of  a  man  I  could 
not  respect,  and  one  whom  I  had  reason  to  expect  would 
act  dishonourably  towards  me,  from  the  description  which 
Mr.  Fulton  had  given  me  of  his  performances. 

Wliile  in  Mexico,  I  anticipated  to  meet  with  none  but 
such  characters;  and  indeed  I  can  say  that  the  most  serious 
losses  and  sufferings  which  I  sustained  in  that  country,  were 
at  the  hands  of  my  fellow'-countrymen,  resulting  from  my 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  3g>y 

over-confidence  in  them — and  that  he  in  particular  by  whom 
I  suffered  most,  was  a  Virginian,  who  first  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  deceiving  my  deceased  brother,  and  then  myself. 
Nothing  but  the  respect  that  I  entertain  for  their  honourable 
parentage  and  relatives,  prevents  me  from  publishing  their 
names  to  the  world.  However  my  fellow-citizens  at  home 
may  content  themselves  with  the  statement  of  the  fact  that, 
in  Mexico,  there  are  but  few  Americans,  comparatively 
speaking,  who  have  not  had  the  best  of  reasons  for  flying 
their  country.  It  is  yet  to  be  hoped  that  they  may  become 
virtuous  men,  and  good  citizens  of  their  adopted  land. 

I  repeat  that,  in  my  departure  from  a  country  where  I 
had  suffered  so  much  fatigue  and  excitement,  from  the  con- 
tinued hazard  of  my  condition,  it  was  with  unhappy  feel- 
ings that  I  had  to  be  confined  to  the  society  of  the  captain 
of  the  schooner,  without  the  prospect  of  enjoying  any  plea- 
sure. Emaciated  by  sea-sickness,  I  resolved  to  while  away 
my  time  in  the  cabin  by  reposing,  and  leave  him  as  much 
as  possible  to  himself. 

While  thus  indulging,  on  the  second  day  of  our  voyage 
from  Tampico,  Mr.  Fulton  came  into  the  cabin,  and  inform- 
ed me  that  the  captain  had  said  that  he  would  not  put  us 
out  at  the  Balize,  but  would  steer  for  New  York.  My  friend 
had  not  more  than  mentioned  the  fact,  before  the  faithless 
man  came  in  himself,  and  abruptly  remarked  that  he  did  not 
intend  to  be  plagued  with  us,  but  that  he  would  sail  direct 
for  New  York.  I  had  not  expected  him  to  prove  so  base, 
and  although  taken  by  surprise,  I  had  the  same  way  of  de- 
fending myself  at  sea  as  I  had  on  land.  I  hastily  unlocked 
my  trunk,  and  took  from  it  a  revolver.  I  then  inlbrmcd  my 
brave  captain  that  he  was  not  to  take  me  to  New  York,  but 
that  he  was  to  make  good  his  contract  with  me,  or  else  he 
or  I  should  have  to  die. 

I  furthermore  explained  to  him  that,  as  additional  reasons 
for  liolding  him  to  a  strict  compliance  with  his  agreement, 
his  vessel  was  leaking  five  hundred  strokes  per  hour,  in  con- 


368  TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO. 

sequenr.e  of  the  fresh  water  worm  having  perforated  the 
hull,  while  at  anchor  at  Tampico ;  as  also,  that  one  half  of 
his  crew  were  sick.  I  reminded  him,  likewise,  of  my  hav- 
ing property  at  New  Orleans,  and  that  to  that  port  only  I 
was  determined  to  go,  and  that  I  should  disembark  at  the 
Balize. 

My  friend  resolutely  seconded  me  in  all  I  said,  and  the 
cajitain  very  quietly  for  the  next  two  days  kept  his  bed,  say- 
ing that  he  was  sick — but  Mr.  Fulton  amused  himself  by 
exciting  his  fears,  and  listening  to  his  appeals  to  preserev 
his  life.  The  captain  was  not  aware  that,  at  that  particular 
period,  it  was  dangerous  for  any  man  to  attempt  to  wa'ong 
me,  for  my  feelings  had  for  the  last  nine  months  always 
been  up  to  the  combating  point,  and  to  meet  with  a  disap- 
pointment and  vexation  from  him  was  not  very  agreeable 
to  my  unpleasant  condition. 

On  the  evening  of  the  eighth  day  of  our  voyage,  while 
my  friend  and  seU  were  seated  upon  the  deck  of  the  schoo- 
ner, about  the  hour  of  early  candle-light,  w^e  discovered  the 
red  luminary  of  the  light-house  of  the  south-east  pass.  So 
rejoiced  were  we,  that  we  at  once  determined  to  set  up  all 
night,  to  watch  tliat  the  steersman  would  not  sail  the  light 
down.  We  were  induced  to  do  so  for  the  reason  that,  on 
the  night  previous,  a  sailor  had  proclaimed  that  he  saw  a 
light-house,  when  the  captain  peremptorily  denied  the  asser- 
tion, and  steered  from  the  object.  Mr.  Fulton  had  often 
been  in  and  out  of  the  Balize,  and  was  impressed  with  the 
opinion  that  the  vessel's  course  had  been  set  for  New  York, 
from  the  position  of  the  light  when  seen.  This  explains  the 
fact  that  vessels  bound  for  New  York,  or  any  other  north- 
ern port,  from  Tampico,  first  steer  for  the  Balize,  and  thence 
to  their  destined  port.  However,  we  determined  that  we 
should  not  let  go  our  hold  upon  the  light-house  of  the  S.  E. 
pass,  and  I  did  not  sufier  sleep  on  that  night  to  close  my 
eyelids. 

On  the  following  morning,  as  soon  as  an  anchorage  was 


TRAVELS    IN    MEXICO.  ogg 

obtained,  we  let  go  our  anchor,  and  six  of  us  in  all,  with  the 
baggage  of  myself  and  friend,  was  put  into  the  long-boat, 
and  I  bade  the  schooner  adieu,  for  a  steamboat  was  in  sight 
up  the  river  of  the  South  East  pass.  The  mate,  who  accom- 
panied us,  said  that  our  voyage  in  the  boat  was  three  miles 
by  sea,  and  about  as  far  over  the  surges  of  the  river  to  the 
steamer  Southerner.  The  toil  of  the  sailors  was  incessant ; 
they  were  much  exhausted  when  they  reached  their  destina- 
tion, prostrating  themselves  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer. 
My  friend  and  self  did  not  follow  the  example  of  our  cap- 
tain towards  the  pilots,  but  rewarded  the  poor  men  for  their 
trouble  and  sufferings. 

So  perilous  was  the  voyage  we  had  made  from  the  schoo- 
ner to  the  steamer,  that  it  was  imagined  by  all  who  saw 
us  that  we  had  deserted  the  vessel,  on  account  of  her  being 
in  distress,  probably  foundering — first,  because  the  sea  was 
rolling — and  next,  in  consequence  of  the  great  danger  of  a 
small  boat  attempting  to  stem  the  Mississippi  river.  But  we 
were  thus  hastened  off  by  the  captain  of  the  schooner,  he 
refusing  our  request  to  wait  until  boarded  by  a  pilot.  He, 
no  doubt,  would  have  been  rejoiced  to  have  seen  us  go  to 
the  bottom,  but  happily  we  were  safely  delivered. 

The  steamers  that  are  met  with  at  the  passes,  are  tow- 
boats,  employed  by  the  shipping  to  carry  them  to  and  from 
New  Orleans.  The  Southerner  having  parted  with  the  ship 
she  had  towed  to  the  mouth,  on  the  next  day  went  to  sea 
in  search  of  other  vessels.  The  wind  was  light,  it  was 
slightly  raining;  and  as  the  land  was  hardly  visible,  I 
was  engaged  in  conversation  with  a  very  interesting  young 
lady,  when  the  captain's  wife,  in  much  consternation,  ran 
into  the  cabin,  and  exclaimed  that  we  were  lost!  The  crew- 
were  all  in  confusion,  for  the  boat  was  unmanageable,  ra- 
pidly sheering  round  in  a  circle. 

It  was  soon  discovered  that  the  rudder  was  lost,  and  a 
temporary  fixture  having  been  made  by  the  carpenter,  we 
made  for  the  mouth  of  the  North  East  pass,  and  anchored  at 
24 


Qiy0  TRAVELS   IN   MEXICO. 

a  wood-yard.  The  captain  of  the  Southerner  informed  us  that 
it  would  require  one  week's  time  to  repair  the  damage,  and 
said  that  if  we  were  in  haste,  it  would  be  advisable  for  us 
to  make  for  a  ship  about  three  miles  up  the  river,  which 
would  be  taken  in  tow  that  evening. 

Thus  again  we  had  to  take  a  small  boat,  which  delivered 
us  on  board  the  ship  in  time  for  the  steamer.  No  other  un- 
happy occurrences  or  misfortune  happened  to  me  during  the 
remainder  of  my  journey — and  upon  the  2d  day  of  August 
J  landed  at  New  Orleans,  on,  if  my  memory  serves  me 
right,  the  tow-boat  Phcenix. 


cal 
he 
of 

g- 
'le 


APPENDIX. 


OREGON. 

View  of  Oi-egon.  Description  of  Upjier  and  Lower  California,  with  a  map  of  those  countries. 
Biograpliits  of  the  Enipeior  Don  Augustin  Iturbide,  and  the  Ex-Dictaior  Antonio  Lopez 
De  Santa  Anna,  comprising  rapid  outlines  of  the  political  histoiy  of  Mexico  and  the 
TeNan  Kevolutiou. 

There  have  been  epochs  in  the  history  of  the  world  when 
the  eyes  of  all  nations  were  directed  to  the  advance  of 
power  and  ambition  on  the  one  part,  and  the  overthrow  and 
subjugation  of  empires  on  the  other.  Such  were  the  con- 
quests of  Sesostris, — a  world  won  by  an  Alexander, — the 
chivalry  of  the  Crusaders, — the  freak  of  fortune  of  Charles 
the  V. — the  triumphs  of  Napoleon, — and  the  wide-spread 
military  dominion  of  the  Isles  of  Britain. 

Such  revolutions  in  the  Christian,  social,  and  political 
amelioration  of  the  condition  of  mankind,  can,  without  the 
possibility  of  a  doubt,  be  divined  to  have  been  the  finger  of 
God,  conducting  the  fallen  race  of  man  through  his  own  ig- 
noble gore,  from  a  groveling  and  benighted  condition  to  the 
more  glorious  image  of  his  Maker. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  discovery  of  America  by 
Columbus  was  an  epoch,  and  it  is  equally  true  that  the  crisis 
of  the  revolution  of  British  America  was  the  commence- 
ment of  an  "  age  of  reason, ^^  in  the  history  of  nations,  that 
must  enlarge  and  spread  its  benign  influence  until  it  mantles 
the  whole  earth,  proclaiming  freedom  and  liberty  of  con- 
science to  the  oppressed  and  enthralled  of  mankind  ;  and  he 
js  wanting  in  discernment,  who  does  not  perceive  that  Eng- 
land has  been  made  the  great  pioneer  to  prepare  the  way  in 
new  and  barbarous  regions,  for  the  introduction  of  that  last 


372 


APPENDIX. 


and  greatest  era — the  conquest  of  tyrants  and  bigots,  by  the 
magic  and  redeeming  influence  of  reason  and  principle ! 
But  for  a  want  of  faith  by  the  chief  priests,  scribes,  and 
pharisees,  Christ  was  crucified,  and  Jerusalem  devastated 
by  the  Romans.  England  then  should  take  warning ;  for 
by  a  stubborn  opposition  to  the  divine  advent  of  this  last 
and  greatest  ray  of  light,  the  republic  of  America,  by  the 
all-powerful  principles  of  the  sacred  Bill  of  Rights  of  '76, 
will  dismember  her  colossal  empire,  and  not  leave  one  stone 
upon  another  at  the  footstool  of  her  oppression. 

The  march  of  mind  is  onward,  and  gt^eat  principle,  the 
pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  of  fire  by  night,  will  triumpli  in 
its  career.  The  arm  of  Jehovah,  covered  by  the  thick 
bosses  of  his  buckler,  will  give  liberty  to  the  captive  and 
freedom  to  the  oppressed  of  every  clime.  Whilst  the  tot- 
tering thrones  of  kings,  guarded  with  bayonets,  attempt  to 
shield  their  power  by  deceitful  and  corrupt  diplomacy,  prin- 
ciple will  prove  them,  and  cause  them  to  bow  their  heads  at 
the  altar  of  liberty.  And  should  the  Republic  of  the  United 
States  be  threatened  with  enemies  and  alliances  against  her 
peace  and  happiness;  her  trust,  as  well  as  her  alliance,  will 
be  with  the  God  of  battles,  who  will  lead  her  on  to  glorious 
victory ;  extending  the  "  area  of  freedom,"  mantling  her 
conquest  with  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  annexing  her  peace- 
ful acquisitions  after  the  policy  of  her  constitution. 

By  the  extension  of  such  views,  it  is  not  then  strange  that 
the  attention  of  all  Christendom  should  be  directed  to  that 
vast  extent  of  country,  lying  west  of  the  United  States,  em- 
bracing a  coast  of  great  length  along  the  Pacific ;  a  coun- 
try which,  from  the  extent  of  its  rivers,  the  number  of,  and 
valuable  minerals  of  its  mountains,  as  well  as  for  the  rich- 
ness and  variety  of  the  products  of  its  soil,  should  claim  the 
protection  of  laws  and  civilization. 

The  country  of  western  America,  as  a  portion  of  God's 
heritage  to  man,  has,  until  dates  of  recent  period,  been  in- 
habited only  by  the  savage,  and  roamed  over  by  the  brute 


APPENDIX.  oiyo 

creation — never  having  known  civilized  human  beings,  ex- 
cept in  the  occasional  visits  of  the  adventurous  hunter,  or 
the  searching  explorer,  who  have  never  attempted  to  reduce 
the  face  of  nature  to  that  dominion  designed  by  the  all- 
bountiful  Creator  when  he  proclaimed,  that  by  the  sweat  of 
man's  brow  the  earth  should  be  tilled. 

The  Pacific  coast  of  North  America,  which  more  imme- 
diately interests  the  American  public,  as  the  first  and  great- 
est proprietors  of  its  terra  jirma,  is  at  present  comprehended 
in  what  is  known  as  Oregon  territory.  The  country  lying 
to  the  north  of  fifty-four  degrees  and  forty  minutes,  is  de- 
nominated the  British  possessions ;  that  to  the  south  as  far 
as  latitude  forty-two,  is  known  as  Oregon,  and  south  of  the 
latter  parallel,  California  stretches  far  into  the  torrid  zone, — 
its  southern  extremity.  Cape  San  Lucas  lying  in  the  twenty- 
third  degree  of  north  latitude. 

The  extent  of  coast  of  the  above  three  great  divisions  of 
country,  is  about  three  thousand  miles,  breasting  an  interior 
territory  of  every  variety  of  climate,  soil,  and  productions. 
The  British  possessions  occupy  the  frigid' zone,  Oregon 
and  Upper  California  the  temperate,  and  the  southern  ex- 
extreme  of  Lower  California  the  torrid  zone. 

The  Oregon  country  is  supposed  to  extend  from  Cape 
Mendocino  on  the  south,  to  Cape  Flattery  on  the  north,  lying 
south-west  of  the  Island  of  Quadra  and  Vancouver — the 
whole  coast  presenting  a  line  nearly  due  north.  The  coun- 
try of  Oregon  is  calculated  to  contain  about  four  liundred 
thousand  square  miles,  and  capable  of  supporting  two  hun- 
dred millions  of  inhabitants. 

The  Columbia  river,  the  largest  of  all  the  streams  of  Ore- 
gon, is  formed  by  the  junction,  at  the  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth,  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark 
rivers ;  the  latter  rises  at  the  north,  and  the  former  has  its 
origin  at  the  south. 

The  Columbia  river  is  said  to  receive  nearly  all  the  wa- 
ters which  rise  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  flow  west 


giy^  APPENDIX. 

through  this  territory.  The  river  enters  the  Pacific  by  two 
mouths.  The  promontory  at  the  north  is  called  Cape  Dis- 
appointment ;  that  to  the  south,  Cape  Adams.  The  Colum- 
bia does  not,  at  all  times,  afford  a  safe  harbour,  and  is  a 
stream  of  difficult,  and  often  hazardous  navigation,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  number  of  shoals  and  rocks  in  its  bed. 
North  of  the  Columbia,  in  the  Straits  of  Fuga,  there  are 
several  good  harbours  for  small  vessels,  whilst  further  south, 
at  all  times,  navigation  is  rendered  dangerous  by  the  pre- 
vailing south-west  winds,  which  drive  the  surges  of  the  sea 
over  high  rocks  and  shallow  bars. 

In  the  fifty-third  degree  of  north  latitude,  rises  the  head- 
waters of  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Columbia,  the  Canoe 
river ;  and  what  is  remarkable,  as  one  of  the  wonders  of 
nature,  connected  with  this  stream,  is,  that  only  a  few  feet 
from  the  lake  of  the  Canoe  river,  is  another  similar  lake, 
from  whence  flow  the  waters  of  the  Athabasca,  which  en- 
ters into,  and  connects  with  the  waters  of  the  Arctic  Sea, 
Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Canadian  lakes ;  thus  most  wonder- 
fully exhibiting,  in  a  deep  cleft  of  the  great  dividing  ridge, 
separating  the  east  from  the  west,  between  the  two  volca- 
nic peaks  of  Mount  Brown,  one  thousand  six  hundred  feet  of 
high,  and  Mount  Hooker,  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet 
terrific  sublimity  above  the  sea — standing  in  majestic  gran- 
deur, like  two  great  towers  protecting  the  pass — the  "Punch 
Bowl,"  from  whence  flows  the  pure,  fresh,  liquid  element  of 
the  mountain,  to  mingle  in  the  salt  floods  of  two  opposite 
oceans,  forming,  at  once,  a  connecting  link  between  the  old 
and  new  world.  Through  this  wonderful  pass,  the  English 
carry  on  their  trade  from  the  Pacific  coast,  almost  entirely 
by  water,  to  Montreal  in  Canada,  and  to  Fort  Factory  on 
Hudson's  Bay. 

With  the  foregoing  succinct  views  of  the  extent  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Oregon,  and  its  facilities  for  navigation,  and  exten- 
sive inland  commerce,  it  was  frequently  impressed  upon  my 
mind,  while  on  the  Pacific  coast,  that  it  was  strange  my  fel- 


APPENDIX.  g>y5 

low-citizens  of  the  United  States  did  not  awake  to  their  true 
interests,  and  wrest  from  foreign  possession  their  justly  ac- 
quired territories,  so  improperly  detained  from  them,  in  con- 
travention of  treaty  guarantees,  and  the  rights  of  occupancy. 
Although  the  harbours  north  of  tiie  Columbia  river  are  not 
the  best  or  largest  on  the  coast,  yet,  from  the  easy  navigation 
of  the  rivers  and  lakes  which  empty  into  the  Pacific,  upon 
the  one  hand,  and  flow  into  the  Atlantic,  upon  the  other, — 
making  an  almost  entire  and  unobstructed  navigation  from 
ocean  to  ocean — it  is  highly  probable  that  this  route  may  be 
made  to  command  the  best  part  of  the  commerce  with  Chi- 
na and  the  East  Indies  ;  and,  unless  our  government  recover 
and  maintain  its  rights  in  the  country  of  Oregon,  we  may 
be  prepared  to  relinquish  our  expectations  of  establishing  a 
profitable  over-land  trade  w  ith  the  Pacific.  The  tardy  policy 
of  the  government  would  render  the  acquisition  of  the  bay 
and  port  of  San  Francisco  of  little  use  to  the  nation,  in  com- 
petition with  British  capital  and  enterprise  on  this  natural 
route.  And  unless  a  decided  and  energetic  policy  be  adopted, 
in  reference  to  the  great  object  of  trans-continental  com- 
merce with  the  Pacific — a  policy  overcoming  all  obstacles 
in  the  attainment  of  an  object  of  such  transcendent  national 
importance — we  may  be  prepared  to  surrender  California 
likewise,  and,  with  it,  those  vast  commercial  enterprises,  to 
the  cupidity  of  our  British  friends,  and  their  determination 
to  circumscribe  our  power  and  advancement. 

When  we  remember  that  the  discovery  of  this  continent, 
by  Columbus,  was  the  result  of  an  attempt  to  find  a  passage 
to  the  East  Indies,  for  commercial  benefits,  and  notwith- 
standing a  vast  continent  blocked  up  the  high-way  to  the 
rich  stores  of  those  regions,  eager  enterprise  was  ever  vi- 
gilant in  searching  for  some  strait  or  narrow  sea,  by  which 
the  goal  could  be  gained,  and  the  wealth  of  the  far-east 
flooded  into  the  cofiers  of  the  avaricious  west.  Not 
a  bay  was  seen,  nor  a  river  discovered,  but  what  the 
watchful  navigator,  ever  possessed  of  the  single  object  of  a 


376 


APPENDIX. 


western-passage  to  the  east — would,  amidst  the  shouts  of 
his  mariners,  embrace  the  delusion,  that  this  or  that,  was  the 
desired,  long- sought  for  passage. 

In  1542  the  Spaniards,  having  possession  of  the  Philippine 
Islands,  it  gave  to  the  merchants  of  that  people  the  mono, 
poly  of  the  trade  with  China.  But,  in  16 IC,  the  promontory 
of  Cape  Horn  was  discovered  and  sailed  round,  which  had 
the  effect  to  draw  from  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  Spanish 
Main,  hordes  of  English  and  French  bucaniers,  who  had 
been,  by  actual  license,  or  silent  consent  of  their  several 
governments,  encouraged  to  depredate  upon  Spanish  com- 
merce, and  plunder  their  towns. 

The  powers  of  Europe,  unable  at  all  times  to  compete 
with  Spain  in  open  warfare,  upon  the  ocean,  stealthily  en- 
gaged in  freebooting  and  piracy  upon  their  merchant-ships, 
entertaining  the  hope  that  thereby  Spain  might  be  ultimate- 
ly weakened  in  marine  power  and  wealth,  and  her  com- 
merce gradually  destroyed.  It  has  been  said  that  "  the 
efforts  of  the  English  and  their  government,  to  establish 
commerce  with  the  Spanish  dominions  in  America,  have, 
in  fact,  been  the  principal  causes  or  motives  of  all  the  wars 
between  those  nations  since  the  sixteenth  century." 

The  effect  produced  by  the  discovery  of  Cape  Horn,  re- 
sulted also  in  the  sailing  directly  across  the  Pacific  to  Asia 
and  the  Indies ;  and  thus,  while  the  commerce  of  the  Spa- 
niards was  perpetually  harassed  on  the  high-seas  by  English 
and  French  pirates,  the  ports  of  the  eastern  world  were 
thrown  open  to  the  universal  trade  of  all  commercial  na- 
tions. 

Coeval  with  the  advance  of  commerce,  the  settlement  of 
colonies  on  the  eastern  coast  of  North  America,  by  differ- 
ent European  nations,  was  in  regular  progression.  England 
had  acquired  possession  of  the  present  Atlantic  coast  of  the 
United  States,  and,  with  the  immense  advantage,  already 
secured  to  her  commercial  interests,  has  never  abandoned 
the  idea  of  discovering  a  near  passage  to  the  Pacific,  by 


APPENDIX. 


377 


way  of  the  north-west,  having  repeatedly  fitted  out  explor- 
ing expeditions  to  navigate  the  Arctic  sea.  In  the  spirit  of 
gain,  which  she  evinces  in  the  acquisition  of  new  territories 
in  disregard  of  the  rights  of  others,  and  with  the  most  flim- 
sy pretexts,  it  would  seem  that  her  ambition  can  never  be 
satiated  till  she  has  spread  her  arms  over  all  the  shores. 

It  is  not  intended  here  to  discuss  the  validity  of  our  title 
to  Oregon.  On  that  subject  there  is  but  one  opinion  with  in- 
telligent and  patriotic  citizens  of  this  country,  and  that  is,  that 
our  title  is  clear,  just  and  indefeasible,  and  that  the  pretensions 
set  up  by  our  adversaries,  are  unreasonable,  and  untenable 
in  their  character.  To  procrastinate  the  settlement  of  the 
Oregon  dispute,  the  British  government  has  resorted  to 
every  subterfuge  within  the  range  of  pettifogging  diplomacy 
— her  only  object  being  to  achieve  by  artifice,  negotiation, 
or  chance,  some  advantage,  whereby  she  may  acquire  a 
sufficient  footing  on  the  Pacific  coast,  to  thwart  the  true 
policy  of  our  government,  and  promote  the  interests  of  her 
own,  at  the  expense  of  her  neighbours.  If  a  chain  of  com- 
munication can  be  made  through  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
lakes,  and  by  land  or  water  across  the  continent,  it  is  as 
practicable  to  British  capital  as  to  American,  to  secure  the 
over-land  commerce  of  the  Western  Ocean.  The  day  is 
not  distant,  when  British  ships  will  take  in  cargo  at  Liver- 
pool, in  England,  and  discharge,  without  transhipment,  in 
the  harbours  of  Lake  Superior,  and  her  magnificent  trans- 
atlantic steamers,  after  ploughing  through  three  thousand 
miles  of  ocean,  will  be  seen  steaming  their  way  through  our 
noble  rivers  and  inland  seas,  as  many  thousand  miles  into 
the  interior  of  the  continent,  distributing  the  wealth,  enter- 
prise and  population  of  England  through  the  very  heart  of 
the  wilderness.  The  great  ship-canal,  overcoming  the  ra- 
pids of  the  St.  Lawrence,  now  nearly  completed,  and  the 
enlargement  of  the  Welland  canal,  around  the  falls  of  Ni- 
agara, will  enable  ships  of  six  hundred  tons  burthen  to  ac- 
complish this  voyage.     This  chain  of  improvements  are 


378 


APPENDIX, 


among  the  most  stupendous  ^t-orks  ever  projected,  and  their 
future  object  will  be  more  fully  developed  in  the  coming  com- 
mercial contests  between  the  merchants  and  governments 
of  the  two  countries. 

An  important  crisis  is  evidently  approaching,  in  the  his- 
tury  of  our  transatlantic  rival ;  a  great  contest  is  going  on 
vigorously,  for  manufacturing  and  commercial  supremacy. 
To  these  sources  of  enterprise  she  is  mainly  indebted  for 
her  hitherto  pre-eminent  prosperity,  and  the  present  prop  of 
her  power  ;  she  fears  no  other  competitor  but  America,  and 
with  these  convictions  in  rapid  progress  of  fulfilment,  it  is 
not  strange  that  a  great  struggle  should  be  maintained,  with 
every  resource  at  her  command,  to  circumscribe  our  com- 
mercial activity,  and  secure  to  herself  the  monopoly  of  eve- 
ry new  and  profitable  avenue  of  enterprise.  But  our  gov- 
ernment and  people  seem  to  appreciate  her  designs ;  and, 
however  tardy  we  may  be  in  opposing  obstacles  to  their  ac- 
complishment, or  in  asserting  and  maintaining  our  rights, 
the  presiding  divinity  of  our  republic  seems  to  have  decreed 
that  every  thing  calculated  to  advance  the  progress  of  her 
favoured  people  shall  triumph  over  all  opposition. 

The  prompt  and  decided  action  of  the  present  adminis- 
tration at  Washington,  so  confidently  looked  for,  after  the 
pledges  of  Mr.  Polk,  will  secure  the  speedy  and  peaceable 
settlement  of  the  Oregon  question.  Great  Britain  will  not 
go  to  war ;  her  cabinet  well  know  that  in  the  existence  of 
peace  between  their  government  and  the  United  States,  de- 
pends the  peace  of  Europe  and  the  world.  Let  the  contest 
but  commence,  and  whatever  victories  may  be  achieved,  or 
societies  devastated  on  either  side,  the  annexation  of  all 
British  America  to  the  United  States,  will  be  the  inevitable 
consequence,  and  new  and  independent  powers  will  be  erect 
ed  in  the  British  Indies  and  the  islands  of  the  sea,  while 
the  political  influence  of  the  contest,  operating  upon  the 
minds  of  the  degraded  and  starving  millions  at  home,  can- 
not fail  to  shake  the  foundations  of  the  throne  itself,  if  not 


APPENDIX.  own 

to  overturn  the  time-worn  fabrics  of  European  monarchy 
and  despotism,  giving  place  to  the  irresistible  genius  of  de- 
mocratic constitutions.  France  is  far  better  j)reparcd  for 
republican  government  to-day,  than  in  the  days  of  Voltaire 
and  Napoleon  ;  and  the  factious  demagogue,  O'Connell,  with 
his  misled  but  oppressed  followers,  will  embrace  the  earliest 
opportunity  to  put  the  ball  of  revolution  in  motion. 


CALIFORNIA. 

This  country  has,  within  the  last  few  years,  excited  an 
increased  degree  of  interest  throughout  the  commercial 
world,  but  more  especially  with  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States.  The  American  people  have  been  led  to  give  a 
greater  degree  of  attention  to  California  recently,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  removal  there  of  a  large  number  of  Ameri- 
can immigrants,  originally  settlers  in  Oregon,  who  left  the 
latter  region  in  consequence  of  the  superiority  of  the  soil 
and  climate  of  the  former.  The  avowals  of  the  British  gov- 
ernment too,  with  reference  to  Oregon — their  recent  attempt 
to  purchase  Cahfornia  clandestinely,  from  Santa  Anna — and 
the  evidently  determined  policy  of  the  Crown  of  Great 
Britain  to  monopolize  the  prospective  commercial  inter- 
course with  the  Pacific,  by  limiting  our  possessions  upon 
that  coast  to  a  small  extent  of  sea-board,  of  little  value  to 
the  American  immigrant,  as  an  agricultural  country,  and 
destitute  of  valuable  harbours  to  shelter  our  commerce,  or 
to  serve  as  adequate  depots  for  an  extensive  overland 
trade  with  the  Pacific. 

These  designs  of  the  British  ministry,  and  their  imperious 
language  to  the  United  States,  have  rendered  our  people  and 
government  more  alive  to  their  interests,  while  British  poli- 


380 


A  PPENDIX. 


cy  on  this  continent,  and  foreign  interference  from  whatev- 
er source,  is  daily  becoming  more  obnoxious.  The  "  non- 
interference doctrines"  of  Mr.  Munroe,  put  forth  during  his 
administration,  have  been  revived  in  the  action  of  the  gov- 
ernment upon  the  Texas  question,  and  met  with  a  hearty  re- 
sponse from  the  entire  American  pubhc. 

After  Hernando  Cortes  had  subdued  Mexico,  and  esta- 
bhshed  himself  in  the  ancient  city  of  the  Montezeumas,  he 
extended  his  conquests  far  to  the  west,  and  having  made  his 
way  to  the  Pacific,  built  a  fleet  with  which  to  explore  for 
new  discoveries.  The  fleet  was  put  under  the  command  of 
Diego  Hurtado  de  Mendoza,  Mdio  sailed  along  the  coast 
north-west,  as  far  as  San  Jose,  in  latitude  twenty-seven. 

But  this  expedition  having  proved  disastrous,  Cortes  him- 
self took  command  of  a  squadron,  and  sailed  to  the  north- 
west in  search  of  new  countries,  and  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1535,  anchored  his  vessels  in  a  bay  upon  which  he  bestowed 
the  name  of  Santa  Cruz.  This  bay  is  situated  upon  the 
south-east  coast  of  what  is  now  known  as  Lower  Califor- 
nia. And  thus  it  is,  California  had  for  its  discoverer  one  of 
the  most  renowned  of  the  early  adventurers  in  the  new 
world  ;  and  now,  at  a  period  of  more  than  three  hundred 
years  from  its  discovery,  is  but  just  beginning  to  excite  in- 
terest among  civilized  men. 

The  country  of  California  lies  between  the  22d  and  42d 
parallels  of  north  latitude,  and  is  divided  in  two  parts.  The 
northern  portion  is  called  New,  or  Upper  California,  and 
the  Southern,  Old,  or  Lower  California,  tiie  dividing  line 
being  about  latitude  thirty-two. 


APPENDIX. 


381 


LOWER   CALIFOR^MA. 

The  peninsula  of  Lower  California,  it  will  be  perceived, 
on  reference  to  the  map,  is  a  narrow  strip  of  land,  extend- 
ing far  to  the  south-east,  and  is  washed  upon  its  eastern 
shore  by  the  Gulf  of  California,  while  the  vast  waters  of 
the  Pacific  dash  their  surges  agamst  its  mountainous  coast 
on  the  west. 

This  peninsula  is  about  seven  hundred  miles  in  length, 
and  only  one  hundred  and  thirty  in  its  greatest  breadth  on 
the  north,  with  a  mean  width  of  about  ninety-five  miles, 
gradually  diminishing  as  it  extends  southward,  until  it  reach- 
es its  extremity,  formed  by  two  bold  promontaries,  Cape 
Palmo  on  the  east,  and  Cape  San  Lucas  on  the  west. 

Lower  California  has  a  most  uninviting  face  of  country, 
having  a  high  rocky  range  of  hills  running  the  entire  extent 
of  the  peninsula,  generally  bordering  upon  its  western  coast. 
The  valleys  are  few,  narrow,  and  sandy  ;  and,  owing  to  the 
unfrequency  of  rains,  are  unproductive,  unless  the  location 
is  such  as  to  admit  of  irrigation.  All  the  irrigated  lands  of 
California,  as  well  as  Mexico,  whether  rich  or  poor,  are 
generally  very  productive.  In  the  northern  portion  of  Low- 
er California,  it  sometimes  happens  that  rains  do  not  fall  for 
years  at  a  time,  while  to  the  south,  towards  the  capes,  there 
are  generally  copious  and  refreshing  showers  during  the 
months  of  June,  July  and  August. 

The  western  coast  of  the  peninsula  is  high,  dangerous, 
and  rocky,  affording  but  insecure  anchorage  for  vessels; 
while  not  a  stream  of  any  magnitude  enters  into  the  ocean 
on  that  side,  and  fresh  water  is  not  found  in  any  quantities 
near  the  coast.  The  harbours  on  the  Pacific,  are  at  Bay 
la  Magdalena,  and  Port  San  Quintin ;  the  latter  has  fresh 
water  in  the  vicinity.     The   eastern  shores  are  low,  and 


382  APPENDIX. 

without  good  harbours,  the  waters  of  the  gulf  being  shallow, 
and  only  navigated  with  danger  by  the  smaller  class  of  ves- 
sels. 

That  portion  of  Mexico  which  borders  upon  the  Gulf  of 
California,  east  of  the  peninsula,  was  originally  divided  into 
two  provinces,  but  is  now  comprehended  in  one,  called  the 
department  of  Sonora  and  Sinaloa,  under  the  government 
of  Gen.  Urea.  Those  territories  were  originally  but  thinly 
inhabited,  but  are  now,  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea-shore, 
quite  as  numerously  populated  as  any  other  portions  of  Mex- 
ico— a  result  attributable  to  the  more  extensive  opening  of 
the  veins  of  silver  in  that  department,  and  the  greatly  in- 
creased foreign  trade  of  Guamas  andMazatlan — in  the  last 
of  which  the  population  has  trebled,  since  the  year  1835. 
There  are  not  less  than  two  hundred  Americans  at  Mazat- 
lan.  The  port  of  Guamas  is  in  lat.  23^  40',  and  although  a 
better  harbour  and  safer  anchorage  than  at  Mazatlan,  in 
lat.  27°  40',  yet  the  latter  has  a  greater  commerce  than  any 
other  Mexican  port  on  the  Pacific.  The  department  of  So- 
nera and  Sinaloa  has  a  rich  and  very  productive  soil,  with 
more  numerous  and  serviceable  rivers  and  water-courses 
than  any  other  portion  of  Mexico.  In  the  upland  region, 
cotton  is  cultivated,  whilst  maize  and  wheat  grow  to  perfec- 
tion, and  upon  the  rivers  sugar-cane  grows  in  luxuriance, 
without  replanting.  The  sugar  planter  has  only  to  cut  his 
cane,  transport  it  on  the  backs  of  his  mules  to  the  mill,  where 
it  is  crushed  and  prepai'ed  by  means  of  a  very  rude  wooden 
crushing  machine,  altogether  used  in  that  country. 

Lower  California  has  long  been  celebrated  for  the  pearl 
stones  contained  in  the  oyster  taken  on  its  coasts.  It 
is  said  that  the  pearl  fishery  in  the  Gulf  of  California  has 
given  to  the  crown  of  Spain  the  greatest  portion  of  its  royal 
wealth.  The  pearl  is  taken  there  at  great  hazard  of  life  by 
the  Indians,  who  dive  to  astonishing  depths  in  pursuit  of  it. 
The  divers  are  sometimes  drowned,  and  at  others  destroyed 
by  the  furious  sharks  of  those  waters.     The  Connackers  of 


APPENDIX. 


383 

the  Sandwich  Islands,  arc  said  to  be  ihc  most  expert  divers, 
and  can  swim  farther,  and  remain  longer  under  water,  than 
any  other  people  of  the  Pa<  ific.  Diving-bells  have  been 
ineffectually  used  in  pearl  fishing ;  yet  it  is  highly  proba- 
ble that  the  more  recent  invention  of  gum-elastic  water- 
proof suits,  with  respiring  tubes,  may  be  successfully  sub- 
stituted, saving  great  loss  of  hfe,  and  producing  much  more 
profitable  results.  The  pearl  oyster  is  found  between  the 
crevices  of  the  rock,  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

The  hills  and  mountains  of  Lower  California  are  onlv 
productive  of  the  precious  metals;  and  the  mines,  though  of 
ancient  date,  were  not  extensively  explored,  and  are  but 
little  worked.  Near  the  town  of  Angelles  there  is  a  gold 
mine  said  to  be  very  rich.  In  the  mining  districts  of  other 
parts  of  Mexico,  gold  is  not  obtained  unmixed  with  silver, 
but  in  Cahfornia  both  ores  are  found  in  distinct  deposites, 
independent  of  any  other  metals,  as  in  some  parts  of  the 
United  States. 

The  sea  of  Cortes,  so  called  by  the  early  navigators,  af- 
terwards named  Mar  Vermejo  by  the  Spaniards,  and  now 
known  to  the  world  as  the  Gulf  of  California,  is  an  arm  of 
the  Pacific  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  peninsula  of 
Lower  California,  and  separating  it  from  the  main  land, 
with  an  average  width  of  near  one  hundred  m-iles.  It  re- 
ceives the  Colorado  of  the  west  at  its  head,  in  latitude  3"2*, 
and  contains  several  fine  islands,  of  which  Carmen  and 
Tiburon  are  the  principal.  In  early  times  this  gulf  was  the 
retreat  and  rendezvous  of  the  Dutch  pirates  who  infested 
the  Pacific. 

The  climate  of  Lower  California  is  uniformly  that  of  the 
torrid  zone,  the  soil  producing  all  the  fruits  grown  in  tropi- 
cal regions.  The  country  is  considered  healthy,  and  indeed, 
the  severities  of  sickness  known  upon  the  eastern  coast,  are 
never  felt  on  the  Pacific  shores  of  North  America.  San 
Bias  has  been  the  most  unhealthy  of  any  Pacific  port,  yet 
the  Mexican  vomito  of  Vera  Cruz  has  never  made  its  ap- 


gg^  APPENDIX. 

pearance  there.  Mr.  Peck,  an  American  gentleman  pre- 
viously spoken  of,  who  has  resided  at  San  Bias  and  its  vi- 
cinity for  eight  years,  states  that  no  sickness  or  epidemic  is 
there  periodical,  as  at  Vera  Cruz,  Tampico,  and  New  Or- 
leans, and  that  such  things  are  only  known  occasionally,  in 
the  lapse  of  years. 

Lower  California  is  supposed  to  contain  from  four  to  five 
thousand  inhabitants.  No  correct  census  was  ever  taken. 
There  are  but  few  Mexicans  or  foreigners  among  them,  the 
population  being  principally  Indians,  natives  of  the  country. 


UPPER  CALIFORNIA. 

This  country  was  discovered  in  the  year  1539,  by  an  ex- 
pedition commanded  by  Francisco  de  Ulloa,  which  was 
fitted  out  for  the  purpose  of  making  discoveries  by  the  am- 
bitious and  enterprising  Cortez,  very  soon  after  the  conquest 
of  Mexico.  The  first  permanent  Spanish  settlement  was 
made  in  the  year  1709,  at  the  present  town  of  San  Diego, 
in  latitude  32°  and  41'. 

Upper,  or  New  California,  extends  along  the  Pacific  from 
latitude  thirty-two,  to  Cape  Mindocino  in  latitude  40*^  and 
19',  and  from  the  coast  to  the  east,  as  far  as  the  boundaries 
of  the  north-eastern  departments  of  New  Mexico.  The 
exact  area  of  Upper  California  is  at  present  undefined,  and 
the  interior  has  been  but  inadequately  explored. 

The  bays  and  harbours  on  this  coast  are  numerous  and 
capacious.  Among  the  latter,  the  principal  are  the  ports  of 
San  Francisco,  situated  on  the  bay  of  that  name,  Monterey 
and  San  Diego,  and  several  others  of  lesser  note.  San 
Carlos  de  Monterey  is  the  capital  of  California,  and  has  a 
fine  harbour  and  considerable  commerce. 


APPENDIX 


385 

It  was  at  Monterey  tliat  a  demonstration  was  n-jade,  in 
1842,  by  the  United  States  Pacific  squadron,  under  com- 
mand of  Commodore  Jones,  who,  understanding  that  a  treaty 
had  been  negotiated  by  the  agents  of  the  British  govern- 
ment with  Santa  Anna,  for  a  transfer  of  Cahfornia  to  Great 
Britain,  and  that  an  Enghsii  fleet  was  about  to  sail  for 
Monterey,  to  consummate  the  purchase,  deemed  it  his  duty 
to  resist  the  anticipated  encroachment,  and  took  possession 
of  Monterey  for  the  purpose.  It  has  been  suggested,  that 
the  intelligence  imparted  to  Commodore  Jones  was  false, 
and  intended  to  deceive  that  officer  and  induce  the  capture 
of  Monterey,  in  order  to  afford  Lord  George  Paulet,  the 
British  Admiral,  an  authoritative  precedent,  which  would 
enable  him  to  plead  the  doctrine  of  estopel,  in  case  of  Ame- 
rican interference,  in  his  contemplated  seizure  of  the  Sand- 
wich islands.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  islands  were  seized 
without  the  shadow  of  just  cause,  and  but  for  the  demon- 
strations of  indignation,  so  universally  manifested  in  this 
country  and  Europe,  in  consequence,  the  great  stopping 
place  in  the  highway  of  the  Pacific  would  now  have  been 
another  English  Gibraltar,  second  in  maritime  importance 
to  no  other  point  protected  by  the  British  flag.  Nearly  co- 
eval with  this  transaction,  was  the  English  crusade  against 
China,  so  familiar  to  the  world, — a  crusade  which,  it  can 
be  demonstrated,  was  designed  to  render  the  Celestial  Em- 
pire solely  tributary  to  British  commerce  and  traffic.  In 
each  of  these  attempts  she  was,  at  least  temporarily,  defeat- 
ed. But  when  we  view  the  transactions  with  scrutiny,  there 
is  an  obvious  connexion  between  the  Chinese  war,  the  Sand- 
wich Island  afiair,  and  her  palpably  unwarrantable  and  con- 
tumacious attitude  in  reference  to  Oregon.  She  has  petti- 
fogged us  out  of  our  territory  on  the  north-east,  and  taken 
possession  of  the  strong  points  on  that  frontier,  by  which  she 
can  easily  protect  the  lower  provinces.  She  has  fortified 
the  Lake  frontier  and  filled  Canada  with  her  troops.  Slic 
is  opening  a  line  of  communication  for  steam  ships,  from 
25 


386 


APPENDIX. 


Liverpool  to  the  western  extremity  of  Lake  Superior;  and 
if  she  maintains  her  position  in  Oregon,  a  rail-road  to  the 
Pacific  and  a  line  of  steamers  via  the  Sandwich  Islands  to 
China,  will  throw  into  her  lap  all  the  European,  if  not  the 
American  commerce,  with  the  eastern  and  southern  coast 
of  Asia. 

Besides  the  places  hitherto  enumerated  on  the  California 
coast,  there  are  the  harbours  of  San  Pedro,  Santa  Cruz  and 
Punta  de  los  Reyes.  But  the  most  celebrated  of  all,  and 
probably  the  most  superior  on  the  American  continent,  is 
the  harbour  of  San  Francisco,  situated  upon  the  beautiful 
and  capacious  bay  of  that  name,  in  latitude  37°  55'.  This 
harbour  gives  to  California,  with  its  fine  climate  and  pro- 
ductive soil,  great  and  incalculable  advantages  over  any 
other  country  of  the  western  coast,  because  it  presents  com- 
mercial facilities  of  so  commanding  a  character,  as  to  ren- 
der it,  in  the  hands  of  an  enterprising  people,  the  great  depot 
of  the  Pacific.  It  will  be  to  that  coast,  if  in  the  possession 
of  the  Anglo-Americans,  what  New  York  is  to  Atlantic 
countries,  the  great  emporium  of  commerce  and  civiliza- 
tion, and  ere  another  century  shall  have  passed  away,  a 
wealthy,  populous,  and  powerful  empire,  will  have  arisen  on 
the  Pacific,  and  San  Francisco  will  rival  many  of  its  Atlan- 
tic neighbours. 

Although  this  harbour  is  equal  to  any  other  in  the  world, 
until  recently  it  has  been  but  little  known,  except  as  a  resort 
for  pirates.  It  is  now  often  visited  by  navigators,  and  for 
some  time  has  been  an  important  depot  for  the  vessels  en- 
gaged in  the  whale  fishery.  Should  California  reinain  un- 
der the  dominion  of  Mexico,  which  is  neither  a  naval  nor 
commercial  power,  with  a  selfish  and  isolated  colonial  poli- 
cy, jealous  of  the  innovations  of  enterprise  and  civilization, 
and  better  satisfied  with  the  gains  of  an  illicit  trade  and  do- 
mestic free-booting,  than  the  legitimate  profits  of  an  enlarg- 
ed, liberal,  and  honest  intercourse  with  the  world,  San  Fran- 
cisco would  remain  a  small,  unimproving,  and  decaying  old 


APPENDIX. 


387 

town,  and  the  rich  country  around  it  an  undeveloped  waste. 
But  the  all-wise  Being,  who  created  the  sen,  as  well  as 
the  earth,  for  the  dominion  of  man,  doubtless'  intended,  in 
his  own  fullness  of  time,  to  render  the  beautiful  waters  of 
San  Francisco  of  corresponding  benefit  to  his  intelligent 
creatures,  and  will  cause  them  to  answer  the  evident  de- 
signs of  nature.  Time,  in  its  onward  course,  has  been  con- 
stantly developing  new  points  and  circumstances,  which, 
however  unimportant  in  themselves,  when  taken  in  con- 
nexion with  others,  have  eventually  filled  a  large  space  in 
the  history  of  the  world ;  and  when  we  look  at  the  history 
of  empire  throughout  the  world,  the  progress  of  population, 
wealth,  and  civilization  to  the  west,  the  already  rapid  Ame- 
rican emigration  to  California,  and  the  natural  and  neces- 
sary future  connexion  of  that  country  with  the  United 
States,  we  can  but  regard  it  as  the  great  magnet,  and  the 
uliiyna  tlmle  of  the  rapid  movement  of  the  past — the  progress 
of  empire  towards  the  setting  sun.  Although  many  moun- 
tains and  ravines  intervene  between  New  Orleans  and  San 
Francisco,  there  are  no  insurmountable  barriers  to  the  con- 
struction of  a  rail-road  to  connect  the  two  points,  and  when 
this  gigantic  thoroughfare  shall  be  completed,  the  great  and 
long-sought  "  north-western  passage  to  the  East  Indies," 
will  have  been  discovered.  And  should  American  policy 
prevail  on  this  continent,  this  route  will  be  found  to  be  the 
best,  most  practicable,  and  shortest  to  the  Pacific,  combin- 
ing advantages  in  every  way  superior  to  all  others. 

Within  the  last  few  months  we  have  made  rapid  strides 
towards  California;  we  have  annexed  Texas,  and  all  the 
territorial  rights  and  admissions  belonging  to  her  govern- 
ment, accrue  to  the  sovereignty  of  these  United  States ;  and 
our  flag  already  waves  triumphantly  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Rio  Grande.  Whatever  may  be  the  result  of  the  present 
question  of  boundary,  between  Mexico  and  the  United 
States  of  the  north,  the  next  movement  will  carry  us  to  the 
Pacific.     The  only  boundary  question,  if  any,  now  existing 


388 


APPENDIX, 


between  the  two  nations,  is,  as  to  the  country  beyond  the 
Rio  Grande.  The  title  of  Texas  is  as  valid  to  all  territory 
east  of  that  river,  as  to  any  other  portion  of  the  country. 
But  General  Lamar,  in  his  first  message  as  President  of  the 
Republic  of  Texas,  claimed  all  of  the  country  lying  west  of 
Texas  to  the  Pacific.  And  while  the  Texan  commissioner 
at  the  court  of  St.  James  was  negotiating  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  independence  of  his  country  by  England,  Lord 
Palmerston  called  the  attention  of  Gen.  Henderson,  the 
Texan  minister,  to  the  extraordinary  claim  set  up  by  the 
President  of  Texas,  and  objected  to  go  on  with  the  negotia- 
tion, lest  the  acknowledgment  of  the  independence  of  the 
country  might  be  construed  to  sanction  its  asserted  claim 
to  northern  Mexico  and  California.  The  commissioner  re- 
plied, that  he  had  no  authority  to  commit  his  government 
on  the  question  of  boundary.  Nevertheless  the  indepen- 
dence of  Texas  was  then  acknowledged  by  the  British  go- 
vernment, and  with  full  knowledge  and  admission  by  them 
of  President  Lamar's  claim.  The  reasoning  of  Lord  Pal- 
merston was  correct,  and  Great  Britain  is  forever  estopped 
from  opposing  our  future  acquisitions  in  that  territory,  even 
by  conquest,  so  long  as  we  leave  the  question  of  boundary 
open,  and  remain  uncommitted  upon  it. 

The  rivers  of  California  are  not  very  numerous ;  the 
principal  streams  are  the  Sacramento,  a  large  fine  body 
of  water  which  discharges  into  the  bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  the  Colorado  (Red)  river,  which  empties  into  the  Gulf 
of  California.  The  Colorado  rises  near  the  head  waters  of 
the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte ;  and  while  the  one  fertilizes  a 
vast  region  west  of  the  great  chain  of  mountains,  the  other 
for  more  than  one  thousand  miles  forces  its  way  through  a 
mountain  range,  and  at  last  disembogues  its  waters  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  continent,  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

There  are  several  lakes  in  the  interior  plains  of  Califor- 
nia. That  called  the  Utah  (salt)  lake,  is  the  largest,  deri- 
ving its  saline  qualities,  doubtless,  from  the  great  constituent 


APPENDIX. 


.'{Hi) 

part  of  carbonate  of  soda,  that  exists  in  all  the  mineral  de- 
posits of  the  volcanic  region  about  it,  and  of  all  the  lands  of 
Mexico. 

The  chain  of  hills  which  run  through  the  peninsula  of 
California,  extend  northward,  gradually  increasing  in  size, 
until  they  acquire  the  character  of  mountains,  the  princi- 
pal peak  of  which  is  called  Mount  San  Bernardin.  These 
mountains  are  the  most  western  range  of  California,  and 
are  commonly  called  the  Sierra  Nevada,  or  snowy  moun- 
tains. The  greatest  breadth  of  territory,  between  the  moun- 
tains and  the  ocean,  does  not  greatly  exceed  one  liundred 
miles.  The  chain  of  the  Cordilleras,  or  Rocky  Mountains 
of  Oregon,  extend  through  this  province.  These  mountains 
have  their  peculiarities  of  character  and  formation,  varying 
little  at  different  points.  At  the  city  of  Mexico  they  are 
called  the  Sierra  Anahuac,  after  the  ancient  name  of  the 
valley  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  whilst  in  other  sections  they 
have  exclusive  appellations. 

The  country  of  Upper  California,  east  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada, was  never  taken  possession  of  by  the  Spaniards,  or 
their  successors,  the  Mexicans ;  and  hence  it  has  remained  a 
comparatively  unknown  and  unoccupied  wilderness.  In 
1835,  Mexico  abandoned  her  military  posts  and  church  mis- 
sions in  California,  and  subsequent  historical  facts  abundant- 
ly prove  that  the  government  intended  to  relinquish  the 
country — regarding  it  as  the  people  of  Mexico  do,  as  a  re- 
gion too  worthless  and  remote  for  the  expense  of  its  military 
occupancy,  or  themselves  as  too  weak  to  sustain  their  au- 
thority over  it.  But,  after  the  affair  of  Commodore  Jones, 
at  Monterey,  the  government  sent  a  small  body  of  troops 
there,  which  however  have  since  been  driven  ofl",  the  inhab- 
itants, including  many  Americans,  having  made  a  success- 
ful re\olt  against  the  government  of  the  province. 

The  civilized  population  of  California  is  very  small,  and 
limited  principally  to  the  towns,  the  aggregate  of  which 
does  not  exceed  five  hundred.     To  the  nortii  is  the  town  of 


390 


APPENDIX, 


Salvada  Rosa,  originally  founded  by  the  Russians,  but  now 
occupied  principally  by  Americans,  containing  about  two 
hundred  inhabitants.  On  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  are  sit- 
uated the  village  of  the  same  name,  and  the  towns  of  Santa 
Clara  and  San  Jose,  with  an  aggregate  population  of  about 
fifteen  hundred.  Further  south  is  the  town  of  Monterey, 
with  three  hundred  settlers,  and  in  the  vicinity  several  other 
lesser  places.  The  most  populous  town  of  all  California,  is 
that  of  Pueblo  de  los  Angelos,  with  about  one  thousand  in- 
habitants. 

The  greater  part  of  the  population  of  Califomia  belong 
to  the  aboriginal  Indians,  and  their  mixed  descendants.  The 
Indians  are  generally  of  the  Camanche  tribe  ;  who,  in  this 
region,  are  considered  more  faithful  and  honest  than  the 
common  Mexicans  at  the  south,  and  are  better-looking  and 
more  intelligent  than  North  American  Indians  generally. 
Neverthelesa  no  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  them,  and  the 
trappers  and  other  adventurers  in  that  country,  find  it  ne- 
cessary to  observe  the  greatest  precaution  to  prevent  their 
attempts  at  murder  and  theft. 

The  mountains  of  California  abound  in  valuable  mineral, 
containing  as  they  do  an  extension  of  the  veins  of  silver 
that  run  through  the  whole  rancre  of  the  Cordilleras  to  the 
south.  Gold  is  here  found, as  in  Lower  California, independent 
of  any  other  ores ;  silver  is  also  abundant.  Both  metals  are 
obtained  by  the  Indians,  who  crush  the  ore  between  rocks, 
and  then  melt  it  in  rude  mud  furnaces,  producing  what  is 
called  fire  silver,  an  article  inferior  to  the  mercury  silver, 
by  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  cent.,  in  consequence  of 
the  amount  of  silex  left  in  the  bullion.  No  country  is  more 
productive  of  pure  virgin  silver  than  this.  The  largest  spe- 
cimen in  the  world  was  obtained  from  thcsn  mountains,  and 
purchased  by  the  government  of  Chihuahua,  for  the  sum  of 
five  thousand  dollars,  and  may  now  be  seen  in  the  cabinet 
of  minerals,  at  the  capital  of  that  department. 

The  climate  of  Upper  California  varies  slightly  in  tempo- 


APPEXDIX.  091 

rature  from  north  to  south,  but  is  never  excessively  crjld 
at  any  point.  In  winter  snow  is  sometimes  seen  as  far  south 
as  San  Francisco,  but  it  soon  disappears.  The  cold  of  the 
mountains  is  somewhat  more  intense,  and  the  silvery  crest 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  may  be  seen  fur  several  months  in 
the  year.  From  April  until  November  the  sky  is  often 
overclouded,  and  the  weather  tempestuous  upon  the  coast, 
while  the  interior  is  insufficiently  blessed  with  rains. 

The  soil  of  Upper  California  resembles  that  of  all  the 
country  south  of  it,  and  without  regard  to  quality  it  may  be 
rendered  very  productive,  upon  the  borders  of  the  streams 
or  other  locations  where  the  lands  can  be  irrigated.  All 
kinds  of  grain  flourish  in  perfection,  and  the  wheat  is  said 
to  be  the  best  in  the  world,  and  yielding  with  little  trouble 
the  most  abundant  harvest.  Grass  is  ever  verdant  and  nu- 
tritious, rendering  California  one  of  the  best  grazing  coun- 
tries on  the  globe. 

Neither  in  Upper  nor  Lower  California  can  cotton  be 
grown  to  perfection,  in  consequence  of  the  climate  being 
alternately  too  hot  or  cold,  too  dry  or  too  damp.  In  the 
southern  part  of  the  lower  province,  it  occasionally  happens 
that  years  elapse  without  rain ;  while  in  the  upper  province 
it  is  too  wet  during  the  three  months  of  the  rainy  season, 
and  the  cotton  vegetates  too  luxuriantly;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  the  dry  region,  the  staple  is  short  and  of  a  muddy 
complexion,  like  all  cottons  cultivated  in  tropical  regions. 
The  author  has  seen  cotton  growing  in  the  departments  of 
Sonoro  and  Sinaloa,  and  although  in  the  same  parallel  of 
latitude  of  the  famous  cotton  region  of  Texas,  it  does  not. 
under  the  most  favourable  circumstances,  attain  the  per- 
fection of  the  poorest  article  cultivated  in  the  United  States, 
but  is  of  the  same  character  of  all  the  cottons  grown  south 
of  the  Rio  Grande  river. 

By  the  annexation  of  Texas,  the  United  States  will  se- 
cure the  monopoly  of  the  cotton  trade,  rendering  thereby 
all  manufacturing  countries  tributary  to  her  for  the  supply 


392 


APPENDIX. 


of  the  raw  material ;  and  it  only  remains  for  the  American 
people  to  foster  this  branch  of  agriculture,  and  retain  the 
control  of  all  the  cotton  territory  on  the  North  American 
continent,  to  render  this  nation  eventually  the  most  wealthy 
and  powerful  on  the  globe. 

Bountiful  nature  has,  in  no  other  country,  lavished  its 
stores  of  every  kind  as  in  the  United  States,  and  its  people 
should  be  thankful  and  happy.  The  minerals  of  the  middle 
states,  are  imbedded  in  mountains  of  coal ;  whilst  the  hill 
sides  are  clothed  with  thick  forests,  the  sand,  the  lime,  the 
soap-stone,  and  fire-earth,  is  ever  present  for  fluxing  and 
rendering  the  ores  to  metals. 

The  trappers  and  Indians  represent  the  unoccupied  coun- 
try east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  as  the  most  inviting  to  the 
agriculturist,  and  better  capable  of  supplying  the  wants  of 
civilized  life,  than  that  upon  the  coast.  Streams  of  water 
are  there  more  abundant,  and  lakes  and  springs,  some  valu- 
able for  their  saline  qualities,  spot  the  earth  for  the  benefit 
of  animal  creation  ;  while,  in  the  growing  season,  the  dews 
of  heaven  descend  in  ample  quantities  to  promote  the 
growth  of  vegetation.  That  portion  of  California  most 
known,  is  not  remarkable  for  its  agricultural  inducements ; 
yet  it  is  abundantly  rich  in  minerals,  and  possesses  greater 
commercial  advantages  than  any  other  country  on  the  west- 
ern coast  of  America.  The  greater  part  of  the  territory 
lying  between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Texas,  remains  yet  to 
be  explored  and  settled,  when  it  will  yield  the  most  bounti- 
ful returns  to  civilized  and  christian  man. 

As  it  regards  the  general  history  and  state  of  society  in 
California,  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than  uninteresting  to  the 
general  read.er ;  and  if  these  outlines  shall  contribute  to 
awaken  a  degree  of  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  western 
portion  of  our  continent,  commensurate  with  the  importance 
of  the  subject,  the  author  of  these  travels  will  be  amply  re- 
warded for  liis  time  and  expenditures,  while  travelling 
through  the  perilous  and  unfrequented  roads  of  Mexico. 


n 


./m  3^K3r^-: 


tX     EMPEHQH        OF  MtXICD 


APPENDIX. 


393 


BIOGRAPHY  OF  ITLUBIDE, 

EX-EMPEROR  OF  MEXICO. 

The  world  is  familiar  with  the  career  of  Don  Augustin 
de  Iturbide,  as  the  first  and  only  crowned  head  that  has  oc- 
cupied a  throne  in  North  America  since  its  seltlemeiit  by 
Europeans ;  and,  what  is  more  rcmarkahle,  he  was  elevated 
by  thp  free  and  almost  unanimous  voice  of  his  countrymen, 
from  the  station  of  a  citizen  to  the  office  and  prerogatives  of 
a  monarch. 

Iturbide  was  born  in  the  year  1785,  in  the  town  of  Val- 
ladolid,  near  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico ;  and  sprang  from 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respectable  CastiJian  families  of  Ja- 
lasco,  who  had  always  occupied  an  important  position  in  the 
country,  and  were  not  less  distinguished  for  their  affection 
for  the  people  of  Mexico  than  their  adherence  and  loyalty 
to  their  sovereign  down  to  the  period  of  successful  revolu- 
tion. 

The  early  instruction  of  Iturbide  was  very  judiciously 
attended  to,  and,  although  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  ac- 
quire, in  Mexico,  what  would  be  regarded,  in  Europe,  a 
brilliant  education,  he  easily  attained  all  the  solid  acquire- 
ments suitable  to  the  highest  sphere  of  the  politician  or  sol- 
dier. He  exhibited,  at  an  early  age,  very  commanding 
talents,  and  the  history  of  his  subsequent  life  must  satisfy 
the  world,  whether  they  were  honourably  or  advantageously 
exercised.  His  career  commenced  in  a  very  important  era 
of  his  country's  history,  and  the  great  commotion  which 
then  agitated  Mexico  has  not  yet  subsided. 

The  subjugation  of  Mexico,  by  Cortes,  was  th-  most  un- 
just and  bloody  conquest  that  marked  the  settlement  of  this 
continent  by  Europeans.  At  this  period  the  natives  of  that 
country  were  in  a  state  of  civilization,  far  in  advance  of  the 


og^  APPENDIX. 

Other  aboriginal  nations  of  America.  The  arts  were  in  a 
high  state  of  advancement,  and  the  civil  government  of  the 
country  was  conducted  with  success  and  moderation.  Cen- 
turies did  not  efface  the  traditions  of  Spanish  outrages,  the 
cruelties  and  treachery  so  wantonly  practised  in  the  over- 
throw of  the  Montezumas ;  and  it  had  constantly  required 
the  most  austere  military  government  to  keep  the  natives 
and  Creoles  in  subordination.  The  mixed  castes  of  Mexico 
and  the  original  inhabitants  have  ever  entertained  the  keen- 
est hatred  for  the  Spaniard ;  and  their  antipathies  w-ere  in- 
creased, down  to  the  time  of  the  revolution,  by  the  fact,  that 
the  offices  and  emoluments  of  government  were  for  the  most 
part  distributed  among  the  Europeans. 

The  success  of  the  revolt  of  the  British  American  colo- 
nies against  the  mother-government,  on  account  of  its  usur- 
pations, and  the  birth  and  growth  of  the  new  republic  of  the 
United  States,  had  a  great  effect  in  strengthening  and  de- 
veloping the  elements  of  revolution,  which  existed  to  as 
great,  or  greater  extent  in  the  Spanish  colonies  of  North 
America.  Nevertheless,  when  it  was  understood  by  the 
Mexicans,  that  the  council  of  Seville  had  declared  war 
against  France,  they  firmly  adhered  to  the  fortunes  of  the 
Spanish  king,  Ferdinand  VII.,  and  refused  to  acknowledge 
allegiance  to  Joseph  Bonaparte.  Iturigary  was  then  vice- 
roy of  New  Spain — a  popular  man  with  the  natives  and 
Creoles,  but  equally  unpopular  with  the  Spaniards.  The 
latter  generally  favoured  allegiance  to  Joseph  Bonaparte, 
and,  setting  on  foot  a  conspiracy,  in  conjunction  with  the 
French  and  Europeans  generally,  succeeded  in  deposing 
Iturigary  and  elevating  a  Spaniard  by  the  name  of  Venegas 
in  his  place,  who,  in  consequence  of  his  outrages,  became 
excessively  odious  to  the  friends  of  the  former  viceroy. 

The  regard  which  recent  events  had  inspired  among  the 
population  towards  Ferdinand — the  hatred  of  the  Spaniards 
who  had  deserted  him — the  injustice  done  to  Iturigary,  and 
the  hateful  conduct  of  Venegas,  had  all  combined  to  pre- 


APPENDIX, 


pare  the  way  for  violence,  and  but  a  short  lime  elapsed  be- 
fore conspiracies  were  formed  for  the  purpose  of  extermi- 
nating the  Spaniards.  A  general  insurrection  was  planned, 
to  take  place  all  over  the  country  at  once,  and  was  only 
prevented  by  accidental  discovery. 

About  this  time  young  Iturbide  was  in  the  confidence  of 
the  government  of  Madrid,  and  held  a  command  in  his  na- 
tive province.  He  was  applied  to  by  Hidalgo,  a  Catholic 
priest  of  the  rich  and  powerful  province  of  Guanaxuato, 
who  was  the  chief  conspirator  in  a  plan  of  revolution  set 
on  foot  by  himself,  to  take  the  office  of  lieutenant  general 
of  the  revolutionists.  The  liberal  and  patriotic  character 
of  Iturbide,  the  influence  of  his  family,  and  the  general  con- 
fidence which  his  military  reputation  would  inspire,  render- 
ed it  an  object  of  the  highest  importance  to  secure  his  co- 
operation. The  plans  of  Hidalgo  were  listened  to  by  the 
young  officer,  w^ho,  satisfied  that  there  was  no  chance  of 
success,  and  distrusting  the  avowed  object  of  the  priest  and 
his  followers,  declined  joining  in  the  movement.  Hidalgo, 
thereupon,  collected  a  band  of  untrained  and  ignorant  ad- 
venturers, and  commenced  his  march  ;  but,  instead  of  mak- 
ing a  judicious  war  upon  the  Spaniards,  or  against  the  go- 
vernment, he  plundered  and  pillaged  wherever  he  went. 
His  career  lasted  but  briefly,  and  terminated  in  his  death ; 
his  example  was  left  for  imitation;  and,  for  several  years, 
similar  outrages  were  constantly  practised  by  parties  of 
adventurers,  who  only  sought  to  plunder  and  devastate. 

From  1810  to  1816,  Iturbide  held  important  military 
commands  under  the  viceroys,  and,  during  that  interval, 
made  several  successful  attempts  to  disperse  those  roving 
parties  of  robbers,  which  had  frequently  inflicted  the  most 
appalling  and  unmerited  cruelties,  and  indulged  in  the  most 
outrageous  excesses  of  carnage  and  robbery,  under  the 
name  of  revolution. 

One  of  these  bands  was  headed  by  a  priest  by  the  name 
of  Torres,  whose  abode,  and  the  head-quarters  of  his  fol- 


396 


APPENDIX. 


lowers  were  established  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  Los 
Remidios,  which  was  strongly  fortified.  Here  his  roving 
parties  brought  their  "  beauty  and  booty ;"  for  neither 
wealth  nor  female  virtue  was  secure  from  the  ravages  of 
these  outlaws.  At  the  rendezvous,  Torres  kept  his  harem 
filled  with  the  most  beautiful  women,  who  were  constantly 
singing  and  shouting  praises  to  their  licentious  master.  He 
issued  the  most  arbitrary  orders  to  his  men,  who  looked  up 
to  him  as  the  source  of  all  power ;  and,  in  the  pride  and 
exultation  of  his  success  and  authority,  often  exclaimed, 
"  Yo  soy  xefe  de  todo  el  miuido'^ — (I  command  the  world.) 
It  was  against  a  demi-savage  insurrection,  carried  on  by 
such  men  and  such  means  as  these,  that  Iturbide  arrayed 
himself  on  thie  side  of  the  government,  although  he  was  at 
this  time  greatly  dissatisfied  with  Spanish  oppression,  and 
sighed  himself  for  the  freedom  of  his  country  from  foreign 
misrule. 

In  1816  he  resigned  his  office  in  the  army,  having  gained 
repeated  distinction  in  his  military  career.  This  step  was 
taken  in  consequence  of  the  misrepresentations  of  several 
important  persons,  to  the  government,  against  him  ;  and,  in 
order  to  enable  a  fair  investigation  into  the  truth  of  the 
charges.  No  witnesses,  however,  could  be  produced  to 
sustain  them,  and  the  most  important  persons  engaged  in 
the  prosecution  abandoned  it,  alleging  that  they  had  been 
deceived.  In  the  interval  of  his  retirement,  while  quietly 
pursuing  his  domestic  aflairs,  and  attending  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  extensive  and  valuable  estates,  repeated  demon- 
strations of  respect  and  confidence  were  showered  upon 
him,  and  the  authorities  of  the  provinces  and  towns,  and 
the  officers  of  the  army,  united  in  an  invitation  to  him,  to 
accept  the  same  office  he  had  resigned.  The  invitation, 
nevertheless,  was  declined,  and  Iturbide  continued  in  the 
peaceful  avocations  of  a  private  citizen,  who  was  tired  of 
the  turmoil  of  contending  factions,  and  the  deceits  of  poli- 
tical life. 


1 


APPENDIX.  .,n'j 


The  author  is  mainly  indebted  to  documents  and  authori- 
ties kindly  furnished  him  by  the  lamily  and  friends  of  the 
distinguished  individual  whose  iiislory  he  lias  attempted  to 
sketch,  very  briefly;  and,  as  Iturbide  has  furnished  the 
world,  probably,  the  best  narrative  of  the  transactions  that 
immediately  preceded  the  revolution  in  Mexico,  the  public 
will  be  better  gratified  with  his  own  statement  than  one 
drawn  from  cotemporaneous  and  equally  partial  sources. 

"In  1820,  (says  Iturbide,)  the  constitution  was  re-estab- 
lished in  Spain.  The  new  order  of  things,  the  foment  in 
which  the  Peninsula  was  placed,  the  machinations  of  the 
discontented,  the  want  of  moderation  amongst  the  support- 
ers of  the  new  system,  the  vacillation  of  the  authorities,  and 
the  conduct  of  the  government  and  Cortes  at  Madrid,  (who, 
from  the  decrees  which  they  issued  and  the  speeches  which 
some  of  the  deputies  pronounced,  appeared  to  have  deter- 
mined on  alienating  the  colonies,)  filled  the  heart  of  every 
good  patriot  with  the  desire  of  independence,  and  excited 
amongst  the  Spaniards  established  in  the  country,  the  ap- 
prehension that  all  the  horrors  of  the  former  insurrection 
were  about  to  be  repeated.  Those  who  exercised  the  chief 
authority,  and  had  the  forces  at  their  command,  took  such 
precautions  as  fear  naturally  dictated ;  and  those  persons 
who,  at  the  former  epoch,  had  lived  by  disorder,  made  pre- 
paration for  again  turning  it  to  advantage.  In  such  a  state 
of  things  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  portion  of  America 
was  about  to  become  again  the  prey  of  contending  factions. 
In  every  quarter  clandestine  meetings  took  place,  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  the  form  of  government  which  ought 
to  be  adopted.  Among  the  Europeans  and  their  adherents, 
some  wished  for  the  establishment  of  the  Spanish  constitu- 
tion. They  succeeded  in  realizing  their  views  to  a  certain 
extent,  but  the  system  was  badly  understood,  and  the  loose 
manner  in  which  it  was  obeyed,  indicated  the  shortness  of 
its  duration.  There  were  some  who  conceived  that  it  ought 
to  undergo  modification,  inasmuch  as  the  constitution  framed 


gQg  APPID-NDIX. 

by  the  Cortes  at  Cadiz  was  inapplicable  to  "New  Spain." 
Others  there  wei-e  who  sighed  after  the  old  obsolete  govern- 
ment, as  the  best  support  of  their  lucrative  employments, 
which  they  exercised  in  a  despotic  manner,  and  by  which 
they  had  gained  a  monopoly.  The  privileged  and  powerful 
classes  fomented  their  different  parties,  attaching  themselves 
to  the  one  or  the  other,  according  to  the  extent  of  their  po- 
htical  information  or  the  projects  of  aggrandisement  which 
ihe'iY  imaginations  presented.  The  Americans  wished  for 
independence,  but  they  were  not  agreed  as  to  the  mode  of 
effecting  it,  still  less  as  to  the  form  of  government  which 
they  should  prefer.  With  respect  to  the  former  object, 
many  were  of  the  opinion  that,  in  the  first  place,  all  the 
Europeans  should  be  exterminated  and  their  property  given 
up  to  confiscation.  The  less  sanguinary  would  have  been 
contented  with  banishing  them  from  the  country,  thus  re- 
ducing thousands  of  families  to  a  state  of  orphanage.  The 
moderate  party  suggested  only  tliat  they  should  be  excluded 
from  all  public  offices,  and  degraded  to  the  condition  in 
which  they  had  kept  the  natives  of  the  country  for  three 
centuries.  As  to  the  form  of  government,  one  party  pro- 
posed a  monarchy,  tempered  by  the  Spanish  or  some  other 
constitution ;  a  second  party  wished  for  a  federative  repub- 
lic ;  and  the  partisans  of  each  system,  full  of  enthusiasm, 
were  impatient  for  the  accomplishment  of  their  different  ob- 
jects." 

At  this  important  crisis,  when  the  political  elements  were 
in  commotion — the  jealousies  of  the  weak  aroused  against 
the  opulent  and  powerful — the  apprehensions  of  the  rich  ex- 
cited for  their  personal  safety — the  country  on  the  eve  of  a 
great  organic  revolution,  the  result  of  which  was  uncer- 
tain, the  means  unknown — whether  the  change  should  be 
effected  by  violence  and  rapine  and  bloodshed,  or  by  mode- 
ration and  peaceful  compromise  of  opinion  and  preferences, 
no  man  knew;  at  this  juncture  all  classes  and  all  parties 
looked  with  confidence  and  solicitude  for  the  action  of  Itur- 


APPENDIX. 


3!)0 

bide.  His  military  reputation  Avas  justly  higher  than  any 
of  his  countrymen.  The  army  was  greatly  attached  to  him. 
The  Spaniards  respected  his  moderation,  and  were  grateful 
to  him  for  more  than  once  averting  the  horrors  of  insurrec- 
tion in  several  large  districts  of  country.  The  natives  and 
Creoles  entertained  the  greatest  confidence  in  his  jnitriotism, 
and  believed  him  ready,  at  the  proper  time,  and  on  the  pro- 
per occasion,  to  strike  for  his  country's  independence.  The 
body  politic  was  disordered,  and  Iturbidc  was,  by  common 
concurrence  of  all  classes,  looked  u})on  as  the  man  for  tiic 
emergency.  Apphcations  were  made  to  him  from  several 
provinces  to  commence  a  revolution — plans  were  proposed 
and  information  in  reference  to  the  capacity  of  the  diflcrent 
sections  for  defence  and  military  movements,  submitted, — 
the  quotas  of  men,  arms,  and  munitions  of  war  tlie  various 
departments  would  furnish,  were  named ;  and  he  hecame 
satisfied  that  the  time  had  arrived  for  consummating  his 
long-cherished  scheme  of  separating  Mexico  from  the  Span- 
ish empire;  and,  yielding  to  the  desire  of  his  friends,  imme- 
diately set  about  perfecting  a  plan  for  effecting  this  great 
object.  At  a  subsequent  period  in  his  life,  speaking  of  this 
particular  crisis,  Iturbide  remarked,  that  he  saw  new  revo- 
lutions on  the  eve  of  breaking  out,  and  his  country  about  to 
be  drenched  in  blood ;  that  he  was  led  to  believe  he  had  the 
power  to  save  her,  and  he  (therefore)  did  not  hesitate  to 
undertake  so  sacred  a  duty. 

The  latter  part  of  the  year  1820  was  devoted  to  this  great 
undertaking,  and  the  whole  energies  of  his  mind  were  bent 
to  organizing  and  perfecting  a  plan  for  separating  the  vice- 
royalty  of  Mexico  from  the  crown  of  Spnln.  Disregarding 
the  successful  examples  of  other  nations  in  whicli  reforma- 
tions and  revolutions  had  been  accomplished  only  at  the  ex- 
pense of  anarchy  and  bloodshed  and  civil  war,  he  attempted 
the  utterance  of  a  plan  that  should  conciliate  contrarieties 
of  opinion,  overcome  prejudices,  and  compromise  all  classes 


400 


APPENDIX. 


more  or  less  to  its  support,  and  thus  avoid  the  horrors  of  a 
servile  insurrection  and  the  calamities  of  domestic  war. 

A  few  months  only  were  sufficient  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  labours,  and  on  the  21st  of  February,  1821,  he 
published  to  the  world  his  immortal  plan  for  the  separation 
of  Mexico  from  the  mother-government,  and  its  erection 
into  an  independent  empire.  In  this  short  period  he  had 
not  only  formed  the  outlines  of  his  project,  and  enlisted  the 
various  contending  factions  in  its  support,  but  procured  its 
ratification  by  most  of  the  departments  of  the  nation.  A 
more  interesting  or  satisfactory  account  of  the  motives  that 
led  to  the  adoption  of  the  sagacious  and  beneficent  "  plan  of 
Iguala*'  cannot  be  given,  than  is  found  in  Iturbide's  own 
words,  which  are  as  follows : — 

"  In  tracing  out  this  project,  (says  he,)  my  aim  was  to 
give  independence  to  my  country — because  such  was  the 
general  desire  of  the  Americans ;  a  desire  founded  on  natu- 
ral feelings  and  on  principles  of  justice.  It  was,  besides,  the 
only  means  by  which  the  interests  of  the  two  nations  could 
be  secured.  The  Spaniards  would  not  allow  themselves  to 
be  convinced  that  their  decline  began  with  their  acquisition 
of  the  colonies,  while  the  colonists  were  fully  persuaded  that 
the  time  of  their  emancipation  had  arrived." 

The  plan  of  Iguala  speaks  for  itself;  and,  although  there 
were  some  radical  errors  in  its  doctrines  and  guarantees, 
yet,  as  a  whole,  it  was  wisely  conceived  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  great  and  legitimate  object  of  its  author — the 
promotion  of  the  interests  and  happiness  of  the  Mexican 
people.     It  was  as  follows  : 

Plan  of Iguala. 

Art.  1.  The  Mexican  nation  is  independent  of  the  Spanish 
nation,  and  of  every  other,  even  on  its  own  continent. 

Art.  2.  Its  religion  shall  be  the  Catholic,  which  all  its  in- 
habitants profess. 


APPENDIX.  ,     , 

Art.  3.  They  shall  be  iniitccl,  without  any  distinction.bc- 
tween  Americans  and  Europeans. 

Art.  4.  The  government  shall  be  a  constitutional  mo- 
narchy. 

Art.  5.  A  junta  shall  be  named,  consisting  of  individuals 
who  enjoy  the  highest  reputation  in  the  diflercnt  parties 
which  have  shown  themselves. 

Art.  6.  This  junta  shall  be  under  the  presidency  of  his 
excellency  the  Count  del  Venadito,  the  present  Viceroy  of 
Mexico. 

Art.  7.  It  shall  govern  in  the  name  of  the  nation,  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  now  in  force,  and  its  principal  business  shall 
be  to  convoke,  according  to  such  rules  as  it  shall  deem  ex- 
pedient, a  Congress  for  the  formation  of  a  constitution  more 
suitable  to  the  country. 

Art.  8.  His  majesty  Ferdinand  VII.  shall  be  invited  to 
the  throne  of  the  empire,  and  in  case  of  his  refusal,  the 
Infantes  Don  Carlos  and  Dop  Francisco  de  Paula. 

Art.  9.  Should  his  majesty  Ferdinand  VII.  and  his  august 
brothers  decline  the  invitation,  the  nation  is  at  liberty  to  in- 
vite to  the  imperial  throne  any  member  of  reigning  families 
whom  it  may  select. 

Art.  10.  The  formation  of  the  constitution  by  tiie  Con- 
gress, and  the  oath  of  the  emperor  to  observe  it,  must  pre- 
cede his  entry  into  the  country. 

Art.  11.  The  distinction  of  castes  is  abolished,  which 
was  made  by  the  Spanish  law,  excluding  them  from  the 
rights  of  citizenship.  All  the  iniiabitants  of  the  country  are 
citizens,  and  equal,  and  the  door  of  advancement  is  open  to 
virtue  and  merit. 

Art.  12.  An  army  shall  be  formed  for  the  sujiport  of  re- 
ligion, independence,  and  union,  guaranteeing  these  three 
principles,  and  therefore  shall  be  called  the  army  of  the 
three  guarantees. 

Art.  vs.  It  shall  solemnly  swear  to  defend  the  funda- 
mental bases  of  this  plan. 
26 


402 


APPENDIX. 


Art.  14.  It  shall  strictly  observe  the  military  ordinances 
now  in  force. 

Art.  15.  There  shall  be  no  other  promotions  than  those 
that  are  due  to  seniority,  or  which  shall  be  necessary  to  the 
good  of  the  service. 

Art.  16.  This  army  shall  be  considered  as  of  the  line. 

Art.  17.  The  old  partisans  of  independence  who  shall 
immediately  adhere  to  this  plan,  shall  be  considered  as  in- 
dividuals of  this  army. 

Art.  18.  The  patriots  and  peasants  who  shall  adhere  to 
it  hereafter,  shall  be  considered  as  provincial  militia  men. 

Art.  19.  The  secular  and  regular  priests  shall  be  contin- 
ued in  the  state  in  which  they  now  are. 

Art.  20.  All  the  public  functionaries — civil,  ecclesiasti- 
cal, political,  and  military — who  adhere  to  the  cause  of  in- 
dependence, shall  be  continued  in  their  offices,  without  any 
distinction  between  Americans  and  Europeans. 

Art.  21.  Those  functionaries,  of  whatever  degree  and 
condition,  who  dissent  from  the  cause  of  independence, 
shall  be  divested  of  their  offices,  and  shall  quit  the  territory 
of  the  empire,  taking  with  them  their  families  and  their  ef- 
fects. 

Art.  22.  The  military  commandants  shall  regulate  ac- 
cording to  the  general  instructions  in  conformity  with  this 
plan,  which  shall  be  transmitted  to  them. 

Art.  23.  No  accused  person  shall  be  condemned  capitally 
by  the  military  commandants.  Those  accused  of  treason 
against  the  nation,  which  is  the  next  greatest  crime  after 
that  of  treason  to  the  Divine  Ruler,  shall  be  conveyed  to 
the  fortress  of  Barrabas,  where  they  shall  remain  until  the 
Congress  shall  resolve  on  the  punishment  which  ought  to  be 
inflicted  on  them. 

Art.  24.  It  being  indispensable  to  the  country  that  this 
plan  should  be  carried  into  efTect,  inasmuch  as  the  welfare 
of  that  country  is  its  object,  every  individual  of  the  army 


APPENDIX.  ^,jg 

shall  maintain  it  to  the  shedding,  if  it  be  necessary,  of  the 
last  drop  of  his  blood. 

Town  of  Iguala,      ^ 
24th  February,  1821.3 

The  profTer  of  the  crown  of  the  new  empire  to  the  reign- 
ing family  of  Spain,  was  calculated  to  secure  the  a]>proba- 
tion  of  the  Spanish  loyalists,  and  conciliate  the  njyal  fami- 
ly ;  and,  had  the  latter  consulted  their  true  interests,  the 
dignity  of  the  Spanish  nation,  and  the  hap])incss  of  the 
Mexican  people,  the  ofler  would  not  have  been  rejected. 
The  guarantee  of  the  Catholic,  as  the  national  religion,  al- 
though in  the  abstract  improper,  was  nevertheless  a  wise 
provision  in  this  instance ;  for  to  have  made  war  upon  the 
church,  or  even  neglect  its  interests,  was  to  enlist  an  op- 
position that  would  have  destroyed  the  whole  object  of  the 
measure.  And  while  there  w'as  offered  to  the  Americans 
the  privilege  of  enacting  their  own  laws,  and  participating 
in  all  the  benefits  of  the  government,  there  was  also  guar- 
anteed to  the  Spaniard  a  peaceful  home,  and  adetiuate  pro- 
tection to  person  and  property. 

The  greatest,  and  perhaps 'the  only  error  (under  the  cir- 
cumstances) of  the  new  organization,  which  foreshadowed 
calamitous  results,  consisted  in  the  provision  which  abolish- 
ed all  distinction  of  castes,  and  placed  all  individuals,  whe- 
ther Americans,  Spaniards,  Africans,  or  Indians,  on  equal 
political  footing.  It  is  true,  this  feature  had  the  effect  to 
conciliate  the  prejudices  and  overcome  the  jealousies  of  the 
lower  classes,  but  could  the  same  ends  have  been  peaceful- 
ly accomplished  without  its  adoption,  many  evils  that  have 
since  resulted  in  Mexico  might  have  been  averted.  The 
half  civilized  masses  in  that  country,  unaccustomed  to  self- 
control  and  the  reflection  necessary  to  the  judicious  exer- 
cise of  the  high  attributes  of  freemen,  were  entirely  unpre- 
pared for  the  change,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  their 
poUtical  liberty  degenerated  into  political  licentiousness. 


404  APPENDIX. 

Here,  again,  the  author  takes  the  liberty  of  quoting  the 
eloquent  language  of  Iturbide,  in  reference  to  the  result  of 
the  plan  of  Iguala,  and  the  consummation  of  his  labours. 

"  The  operation  of  putting  the  plan  into  execution, 
(says  he,)  was  crowned  with  the  success  which  I  had  anti- 
cipated. Six  months  were  sufficient  to  untwist  the  entan- 
gled knot  that  had  bound  the  two  worlds.  Without  blood- 
shed, without  fire,  robbery,  devastation,  without  a  tear,  my 
country  was  free,  and  transformed  from  a  colony  into  an 
empire." 

Those  Europeans  who  desired  to  remain  in  the  country 
were  permitted  to  do  so ;  and  those  who  held  offices,  and 
co-operated  in  the  patriotic  effi^rt  for  independence,  were 
permitted  to  retain  them.  After  the  organization  of  the 
provisional  government,  the  most  liberal  and  capable  Span- 
iards were  elevated  to  the  highest  stations,  and  participated 
in  all  the  honours  and  advantages  of  the  new  order  of 
things.  Those  who  preferred  were  permitted  to  leave  the 
country,  and  often  liberally  aided  in  doing  so ;  no  violence 
was  exhibited  towards  any  who  did  not  approve  of  the  rev- 
olution, and  their  property  and  persons  were  respectq^d. 

But  one  thing  remained  to  be  done,  to  complete  the  per- 
fect independence  of  the  country,  and  establish  the  univer- 
sal authority  of  the  new  government,  which  was  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  royal  government  at  the  capital,  or  its  acquies- 
cence in  the  new  organization.  This  step  was  honourably 
and  peacefully  accomplished  on  the  24th  of  August,  1821, 
by  the  treaty  of  Cordova,  concluded  between  Don  .Tuan 
O'Donoju,  Lieutenant  General  of  the  armies  of  Spain,  and 
Don  Augustin  de  Iturbide,  as  "  First  Chief  of  the  Imperial 
Mexican  army  of  the  Three  Guarantees."  Of  the  authority 
of  the  contracting  parties  to  make  the  treaty  of  Cordova,  a 
single  observation  is  only  necessary.  Iturbide,  invested  with 
the  command  of  the  imperial  army,  was  before  the  capital, 
and  could  easily  have  reduced  it ;  but,  in  the  alternative  he 
pursued,  acted  in  accorda  ice  v\  ith  the  sentiment  of  the  Mexi- 


A  P  P  E  \  U  I  X  . 


i()5 

can  people.  And  although  O'Doik.ju  was  not  inveslcd  with 
the  special  powers  of  entering  into  any  particular  conven- 
tion, yet  he  was  authorized  in  all  cases  to  act  in  accordance 
with  his  judgment,  for  the  interests  of  his  sovereign ;  and, 
in  this  instance,  he  not  only  conformed  to  .the  sentiments  of 
his  command,  and  most  of  the  royal  officers  in  the  country, 
but  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  judgment  of  duty,  and  his  de- 
termination no  longer  to  oppose  a  revolution  which  had  en- 
listed his  sympathies,  and  he  believed  to  be  right.  He  knew 
it  was  vain  for  him  to  contend  with  Iturbide,  or  his  govern- 
ment to  oppose  the  revolution.  The  Spanish  yoke  was  al- 
ready thrown  off,  and  the  general  consulted  the  highest  in- 
terests, if  not  the  honour  of  his  sovereign,  when  he  assented 
to  the  plan  of  Iguala,  and  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty.  If, 
by  this  means,  he  did  not  gratify  the  false  pride  of  a  family 
in  whose  hands  he  had  placed  the  crown  of  the  new  empire, 
if  they  chose  to  accept  it,  he  at  least  prevented  the  improvi- 
dent expenditure  of  much  blood  and  treasure  on  both  sides. 
The  treaty  provided  for  the  recognition  of  the  indepen- 
dence and  sovereignty  of  Mexico;  that  the  government 
should  be  a  limited  constitutional  monarchy,  and  the  throne 
occupied  by  an  Emperor,  who  should  fix  his  court  at  the 
city  of  Mexico.  The  third  article,  in  accordance  with  the 
plan  of  Iguala,  provided  for  the  invitation  of  Ferdinand 
VII.  to  the  throne  ;  and,  in  case  of  his  refusal  or  denial,  of 
one  of  his  august  brothers,  in  the  regular  onlcr  of  succes- 
sion ;  and,  in  case  of  the  refusal  or  denial  of  all  these  res- 
pectively, that  the  national  cortes  of  the  empire  should  de- 
signate the  individual  who  should  ascend  the  throne.  By 
the  sixth  article,  a  "Provisional  Junta  of  Government"  was 
to  be  appointed,  "  composed  of  men  the  most  eminent  of  the 
empire,  for  their  virtues,  their  station,  rank,  fortune,  and  in- 
fluence,—men  marked  out  by  the  general  opinion,"  whose 
number  should  be  sufficiently  large  to  insure  wisdom  of 
council  and  safety  of  action.  It  was  also  agreed  that  the 
Junta  should  elect  its  president,  and  appoint  a  regency,  con- 


406  APPENDIX. 

sisting  of  three  individuals,  distinguished  for  their  ability 
and  patriotism,  who  should  govern  in  the  name  and  on  the 
behalf  of  the  monarch,  until  the  vacant  throne  should  be  filled. 
The  regency  was,  immediately  on  its  installation,  to  con- 
voke the  national  cortes  in  the  manner  prescribed  by  the 
"  Provisional  Junta,"  and  in  accordance  with  the  plan  of 
Iguala.  These  provisions  embraced  the  principal  features 
of  the  treaty  of  Cordova ;  the  other  guarantees  of  the  for- 
mer plan  were  repeated,  and  some  provisions  of  minor  im- 
portance added.  The  general,  Don  Juan  O'Donoju,  also 
agreed  to  despatch  two  commissioners,  with  a  copy  of  the 
treaty,  and  his  representations  thereon,  to  the  court  of  Spain, 
which  was  complied  with. 

In  conformity  with  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty,  the  Spa- 
nish forces  capitulated  on  the  27th  of  September,  and  Itur- 
bide  entered  the  city  of  Mexico.  On  the  same  day  he  nom- 
inated the  Junta  of  government,  who  were  immediately  in- 
stalled, and  forthwith  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  their 
official  duties.  To  fill  this  body,  men  of  the  highest  repu- 
tation were  selected  from  all  parties — it  being  the  only 
chance,  under  the  circumstances,  of  insuring  concert  of  ac- 
tion, and  obeying  the  direction  of  public  sentiment.  Thus 
far  the  plans  and  measures  of  Iturbide  had  secured  the  com- 
mendation of  the  country  ;  the  public  confidence  in  his  ca- 
pacity, patriotism,  and  integrity,  was  greatly  augmented, 
which  was  manifested  in  a  highly  increased  popularity,  and 
the  congratulations  of  his  countrymen  of  all  classes  and 
stations.  His  entry  into  the  capital  was  like  a  military  tri- 
umph, and  he  was  only  prevented  from  being  declared  Em- 
peror by  his  resolute  remonstrance  and  refusal.  The  in- 
stallation of  the  Junta  was  approved,  and  there  seemed  to 
be  at  this  moment  nothing  in  the  way  of  the  complete  and 
successful  consummation  of  all  his  hopes. 

The  junta  had  no  sooner  convened,  however,  than  the 
aspect  was  at  once  changed ;  this  body,  filled  with  persons 
aspiring  to  station  and  power,  who  were  ignorant  of  the 


A  r  I'  c  \  n  [  x 


407 

science  of  government,  hut  cacli  one  of  them  jirofcssinfj  * 
peculiar  views,  and  ostentatiously  presenting  lhcm,'soon  fell 
into  disputes,  perverted  the  power  with  which  ihcy  were 
clothed,  and  gave  great  offence  to  the  country.  The  plan 
was  suggested  by  several  of  the  provinces,  that  Ifurbidc 
should  dissolve  the  Junta,  and  ])rocccd  himself  to  execute 
the  important  duties  which  that  body  had  neglected  ;  and 
he  was  only  deterred  from  doing  so,  by  the  apprehension 
that  his  conduct  might  be  misconstrued  ;  and  because  he 
desired  to  carry  out,  as  far  as  possible,  the  plan  of  Iguala, 
and  thereby  preserve  the  respect  of  those  nations  whose 
regard  and  friendship  it  was  his  desire  to  court  and  cherish, 
and  whose  peculiar  sentiments  of  personal  prerogative  or 
power  would  come  in  collision  with  his,  only  from  a  want 
of  ability  to  appreciate  the  necessities  of  the  emergency. 

There  were  men  at  the  capital,  some  of  whom  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Junta,  who,  entertaining  i)rivate  views  of  emolu- 
ment, disliked  Iturbide,  on  account  of  his  general  success 
and  popularity,  and  were  not  slow  to  enter  upon  intrigues  to 
destroy  him.  To  this  end  the  prejudices  of  two  opposite 
factions  were  excited — the  one  constituting  itself  the  repub- 
lican, and  the  other  the  Bourbon  party — united  only  in  the 
single  purpose  of  opposing  the  measures  of  Iturbide.  The 
former  coalesced  in  the  opposition,  because  they  knew  that 
his  objections  to  a  republic  were  insurmountable,  as  he  had 
repeatedly  expressed  them  to  the  nation.  They  have  since 
been  published,  and  are  so  just  and  forcible,  that  both  mo- 
narchists and  republicans  will  readily  appreciate  them. 
"JVaturc  (says  the  statement  on  this  subject,)  produces  no- 
thing by  sudden  leaps ;  she  operates  by  intermediate  degrees. 
The  moral  world  follows  the  laws  of  the  physical.  To  think 
that  we  could  emerge  all  at  once  from  a  state  of  debase- 
ment, such  as  that  of  slavery,  and  from  a  state  of  igno- 
rance, such  as  has  been  inflicted  on  us  for  three  hundred 
years,  during  which  wc  had  neither  books  nor  iustrurtors. 
and  the  possession  of  knowledge  had  been  thought  a  suiTx- 


408 


APPENDIX. 


cient  cause  for  persecution ;  to  think  that  we  could  gain  in- 
formation and  refinement  in  a  moment,  as  if  by  enchant- 
ment ;  that  we  could  acquire  every  virtue,  forget  prejudices, 
and  give  up  false  pretensions,  was  a  vain  expectation,  and 
could  only  have  entered  into  the  visions  of  an  enthusiast." 
Such  was  the  eloquent  and  truthful  vindication  of  Iturbide, 
for  his  opposition  to  the  establishment  of  a  republican  gov- 
ernment in  Mexico,  and  the  history  of  that  country  for  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century  has  fully  attested  their  justness  and 
propriety. 

The  Bourbonists,  originally  in  favour  of  calling  a  Bour- 
bon to  the  throne  of  the  empire,  after  the  refusal  of  the 
Spanish  government  to  ratify  the  treaty  of  Cordova,  and 
acknowledge  the  independence  of  Mexico,  of  course  could 
no  longer  entertain  the  hope  of  realizing  their  original  plans, 
and  were  in  favour  of  returning  to  the  allegiance  of  Spain. 
The  decree  of  the  government  of  Madrid,  annulling  the 
treaty  of  O'Donoju,  was  made  on  the  13th  of  February, 
1822,  and  had  reached  the  IMcxican  capital.  To  acquiesce 
in  the  desires  of  the  Bourbon  faction,  and  retrocede  from 
the  stand  which  the  Mexicans  had  taken  before  the  world, 
was  to  sacrifice  what  they  had  sought  for,  and  partially 
gained,  and  to  take  a  step  which  was  impossible,  consider- 
ing the  state  of  public  feeling. 

At  this  period  Iturbide  wielded  the  power  of  the  army, 
and  was  far  the  most  popular  man  in  the  country;  and 
against  him,  as  the  prominent  leader  in  the  new  order  of 
things,  the  whole  force  of  the  two  factions  was  bent. 

The  first  duty  imposed  on  the  Junta  by  the  organic  bases, 
required  that  body  to  frame  a  proclamation  {co7ivocatoria) 
for  the  assembling  of  a  Congress  to  form  a  constitution  for 
the  monarchy,  prescribing  the  manner  of  electing  and  the 
number  of  representatives  to  be  sent  by  each  department. 
The  movements  of  the  Junta  were  extremely  tardy  and  un- 
satisfactory. But  after  wasting  a  great  deal  of  time  a  very 
defective  convocatoria  was  presented;  the  representation 


APPENDIX. 


409 


was  unequal,  and  calculated  to  give  oflcnce  to  some  of  the 
stronger  departments ;  for  while  a  population  of  fifty  thou- 
sand, perhaps,  were  given  an  over  large  representation ;  a 
district,  containing  twice  the  number  of  inhabitants,  and  a 
much  greater  amount  of  wealth  and  civilization,  was  only 
entitled  to  one  half  as  many  deputies  as  the  former.  The 
elections  were  greatly  vitiated  also.  Instead  of  giving  the 
people  of  the  district  to  be  represented  the  direct  choice  of 
their  deputy,  or  of  all  the  electors  who  should  appoint  him, 
the  election  was  confided  to  the  authorities  {ayuntemientos) 
of  the  principal  towns,  who  acted  in  conjunction  with  a 
limited  number  of  electors  to  be  named  by  the  country  dis- 
tricts. The  ayuntemientos  were  frequently  corrupt,  or 
easily  corrupted,  and  having  greatly  the  majority  of  elec- 
tors over  those  chosen  by  the  country  districts,  left  the  se- 
lection of  the  members  to  Congress  entirely  in  their  con- 
trol. In  this  way  popular  suffrage  amounted  to  nothing, 
and  popular  liberty  was  in  danger  of  coming  to  the  same 
result.  The  convocatoria,  however,  was  accepted  by  Itur- 
bide  in  the  emergency,  as  the  only  alternative,  and  as  there 
seemed  to  be  no  way  to  remedy  its  defects  except  by  the 
action  of  the  congress. 

The  elections  that  took  place,  in  pursuance  of  this  pro- 
clamation, were  the  scenes  of  the  most  corrupt  intrigues 
and  villanous  influences  of  the  factions  opposed  to  Iturbide. 
The  members  returned  were  composed,  to  a  great  extent,  of 
prominent  individuals  hostile  to  his  plans,  and  others  so  ig- 
norant and  servile,  as  to  be  made  the  ready  tools  of  the 
leaders.  Some  were  persons  who  had  been  prosecuted  as 
criminals,  and  som.e  were  Spanish  loyalists  who  had  vio- 
lated their  paroles  ;  others  were  notoriously  corrupt, — one 
was  an  apostate  monk,  by  the  original  basis  excluded  from 
a  seat,  and  another  was  the  diplomatic  agent  at  the  capital 
of  the  Republic  of  St.  Salvador,  of  which  he  was  also  ad- 
mitted in  congress  as  the  representative.  The  grossest 
frauds  had  been  perpetrated  in  .the  elections ;   individuals 


410 


APPENDIX, 


were  returned  who  did  not  receive  a  majority  of  the  elec- 
toral votes.  Remonstrances  against  the  legality  of  the  elec- 
tions, as  well  as  the  returns,  were  made  from  almost  every 
department,  charging  that  the  law  of  the  convocatoria  had 
been  violated,  and  persons  returned  as  members  who  did 
not  receive  a  majority  of  votes.  These  declared  that  the 
elections  were  a  nullity,  and  that  no  powers  were  conferred 
by  the  people  upon  the  Congress.  The  documents  were 
sent  to  the  Executive  department,  occupied  by  Iturbide,  who 
was  then  the  generalissimo  and  admiral-in-chief  of  the  em- 
pire. Trusting  to  the  patriotism  of  a  few  of  the  members, 
and  the  flattering  hope  that  the  anticipated  errors  of  the 
Congress-elect  might  be  cured  by  the  succeeding  one,  the 
remonstrances  were  not  presented  to  that  body,  or  other- 
wise acted  on. 

The  first  and  principal  duty  of  this  congress  was  to  frame 
a  constitution  for  the  empire,  and  provide  means  for  sus- 
taining the  civil  and  military  power  of  the  government. 
Eight  months  passed  away  and  none  of  these  objects  were 
attained ;  the  constitution  had  not  been  touched — no  finan- 
cial measures  were  adopted,  or  likely  to  be ;  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  judiciary  was  neglected,  the  administration  of 
justice  had  fallen  into  disrepute,  and  civil  anarchy  existed 
throughout  the  country.  The  time  was  wasted  in  empty 
declamation ;  in  making  speeches  on  subjects  foreign  to  the 
objects  for  which  they  were  assembled,  in  discussing  what 
honours  or  pensions  should  be  paid  to  insurrectionary  chiefs; 
what  titles  should  be  conferred  on  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
functionaries,  and  a  hundred  other  subjects  of  no  graver  mo- 
ment. The  incompetency  and  folly  of  the  congress  render- 
ed it  the  object  of  the  contempt  of  the  people ;  the  public 
press  exposed  its  faults,  and  one  of  the  deputies,  Don  Lo- 
renzo de  Zavalla,  since  Vice-President  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas,  stood  up  in  his  place  and  advocated  its  reform. 

The  factions  in  this  body  were  evidently  seeking  delay; 
one  party  desiring  the  triumph  of  the  arms  of  Sixain  in  an 


A  P  P  E  \  D  1  X  .  J  ,   . 


anticipated  invasion  of  the  country,  and  the  other  bent  on  a 
republican  government.  The  army  and  the  peo])le  eciua  ly 
detested  the  dissimulation  of  the  congress,  and  desired  nei- 
ther submission  to  Spain  on  the  one  hand,  nor  republicanism 
on  the  other.  They  had  the  most  unlimited  confidence  in 
Iturbide,  and  regarded  every  manoeuvre  of  the  factionists, 
of  either  party,  as  an  attempt  to  depose  him. 

In  the  early  part  of  1822  the  regency  of  government  was 
composed  of  five  members;  the  congress,  in  order  to  de- 
stroy the  influence  of  Iturbide,  who  was  the  j)residcnt  of  the 
regency,  and  his  friends  in  that  body,  unwarrantably  de- 
posed three  of  the  members,  leaving  one  opposed  to  tiie  pre- 
sident, and  consequently  annuUing  his  influence  and  action 
in  the  executive  capacity.  The  blow  was  intended  for 
Iturbide,  although  the  congress  did  not  dare  to  make  war 
directly  upon,  or  attempt  to  depose  him,  from  a  fear  of  his 
popularity  and  influence  with  the  army.  The  resolution, 
deposing  the  members  of  the  regency,  was  not  only  a  usur- 
pation of  power,  not  delegated  to  the  legislature,  but  its 
adoption  was  most  unjust  and  precipitate.  Without  discus- 
sion, the  resolution  was  passed  at  a  single  sitting,  and  car- 
ried into  immediate  execution,  notwithstanding  it  had  been 
previously  decreed  by  the  congress,  that  every  proposition 
before  them  should  be  read  three  times,  at  as  many  dilFerent 
sittings,  before  it  should  be  discussed  and  passed  upon.  In 
connection  with  the  resolution  it  was  also  proposed  to  di- 
vorce the  executive  authority  and  the  command  of  the 
army.  But  this  proposition,  also  aimed  at  Iturbide,  and  in- 
tended to  compel  him  to  relinquish  cither  his  seat  in  the  re- 
gency, or  the  command  of  the  army,  wns  lost  only  for  want 
of  time. 

Nearly  two  months  had  elapsed  after  the  regents  were 
deposed ;  the  popular  indignation  against  the  congress  was 
aroused  to  its  highest  pitch;  anarchy,  if  not  domestic  revo- 
lution, threatened  in  the  interior,  and  the  clamours  of  the 
army  were  becoming  daily  more  alarming.     Every  body 


412 


APPENDIX. 


distrusted  the  congress,  and  the  departments  were  urging 
Iturbide  to  dissolve  that  body,  if  necessary,  by  force  of 
arms.  The  attempt  to  deprive  him  of  the  command  of  the 
army,  or  his  seat  in  the  cabinet,  had  greatly  excited  the 
fears  of  the  people  and  increased  the  tumults  of  the  sol- 
diers, and  doubtless  was  the  immediate  cause  of  the 
event  of  the  18th  of  May.  The  people  saw  that  nothing 
could  be  expected  from  the  congress,  composed  as  it 
was  of  ambitious  demagogues  and  factious  men,  who  seem- 
ed determined  to  subserve  their  own  purposes,  without 
regard  to  the  fundamental  basis  already  agreed  upon;  in 
total  contempt  of  the  expressed  will  of  the  nation,  and  at 
the  hazard  of  the  independence  of  the  country.  They  had 
failed  to  form  a  constitution :  they  had  failed  to  adopt  any 
of  the  salutary  measures,  so  indispensable  and  necessary  in 
the  emergency  of  the  occasion :  they  were  quarrelling 
among  themselves,  and  warring  with  the  regency. 

Stimulated  by  these  circumstances,  on  the  night  of  the 
18th  of  May,  1822,  the  people  and  the  garrison  of  the  ca- 
pital proclaimed  Iturbide  the  emperor  of  Mexico.  At  the 
same  instant,  as  if  by  magic,  the  entire  capital  was  in  a 
blaze  of  light ;  the  public  square  and  private  edifices  were 
magnificently  illuminated ;  the  buildings  were  decorated 
with  banners,  and  the  balconies  were  filled  with  the  most 
respectable  inhabitants ;  every  countenance  seemed  joyful, 
and  the  universal  shout  ascended — "  Long  live  Augustin  the 
First!"  The  streets  presented  a  compact  mass  of  human 
life;  the  city  garrison,  officers  of  the  army,  the  leading  ci- 
tizens of  the  metropolis,  and  many  distinguished  men  from 
different  sections  of  the  country,  thronged  the  vicinity  of 
Iturbide's  residence,  and  united  in  the  general  acclamation. 
Not  a  murmur  of  disapprobation  was  heard  from  any 
source  ;  indeed,  the  members  of  the  congress,  and  not  all 
of  those,  were  the  only  individuals  at  the  capital  who  did 
not  rejoice  in  the  movement. 

The  vacant  throne  of  the  new  empire  had  already  been 
refused  by  Ferdinand  and  his  brothers.     The  alternative 


APPENDIX. 


413 


remained  for  the  congress  to  select  tlie  individual  who 
should  occupy  it;  the  country  was  in  a  high  state  of  excite- 
ment, bordering  on  anarchy  ;  the  want  of  a  supreme  head 
was  manifest ;  the  congress,  whose  'members  were  vacilla- 
ting between  republicanism  on  the  one  hand,  and  submission 
to  Spain  on  the  other,  had  disappointed  and  deceived  the 
people ;  popular  sentiment  had  almost  unanimously  approved 
the  plan  of  Iguala  and  the  additional  guarantees  of  the  trea- 
ty of  Cordova.  Iturbide  was  the  favourite  of  the  nation, 
and  public  sentiment  had  for  some  time  marked  him  out  as 
the  person  who  should  w^ear  the  diadem  of  Mexico. 

Although  aware  of  his  popularity,  and  expecting  the 
movement  of  the  people,  Iturbide  declared  to  his  friends  his 
determination  to  reject  the  proffered  crown.  But  he  was 
told  by  those,  "that  the  movement  at  the  capital  was  the  ex- 
ponent of  the  national  will ;  and,  to  refuse  compliance, 
would  be  to  turn  the  popular  excitement  against  himself, 
and  to  hazard  the  independence  of  the  country;  that  anar- 
chy threatened  the  nation ;  the  congress  seemed  bent  on 
hastening  its  destruction,  and  no  other  alternative  was  left ; 
that  he  had  started  the  ball  of  revolution,  and  given  inde- 
pendence to  the  country ;  he  was  the  author  of  the  plan  of 
Iguala,  and  had  signed  the  guarantees  of  the  treaty  of  Cor- 
dova that  provided  the  alternative,  now  the  only  one  left, 
which  the  people  had  adopted  in  proclaiming  him  emperor, 
and  that  to  waver,  or  refuse  to  yield  to  their  wishes,  and 
carry  out  the  only  plan  that  could  secure  the  blessings 
of  peace  was  to  sacrifice  his  labours,  sacrifice  his  friends, 
and  desert  the  cause  of  independence." 

Whetlier  Iturbide  yielded  with  reluctance  or  not,  to  these 
solicitations  of  his  friends,  we  have  only  his  own  statement. 
Most  men,  under  similar  circumstances,  however  ambitious 
for  place  or  honour,  would  not  be  very  likely  to  admit  that 
they  sought  the  crown  which  was  offered  them,  and  to 
which  they  had  no  hereditary  title.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  nation  regarded  him  as  worthy  of  it,  and  if  any 


414 


APPENDIX. 


Mexican  was  entitled  to  it,  from  services  rendered  his  coun- 
try, it  could  not,  with  justice,  have  been  bestow^cd  upon  any 
other.  At  any  rate,  whatever  may  have  been  his  scruples 
on  the  subject,  they  were  so  far  overcome  that  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  night  of  the  18th  of  May  in  quieting  the 
people,  and  asking  time  for  reflection  before  his  final  deter- 
mination should  be  announced. 

On  the  following  day  the  regency  was  convened,  and  a 
full  meeting  present,  the  subject  was  presented  to  them  and 
discussed  ;  and  it  was  unanimously  determined  that  Iturbide 
should  accede  to  the  wishes  of  the  people.  The  generals 
and  superior  officers  of  the  army  assembled,  and  united  in 
the  resolution  of  the  regency.  The  president  of  the  con- 
gi-ess,  who  had  received  official  intelligence  of  what  had 
transpired,  immediately  summoned  an  extraordinary  sitting 
of  the  congress.  The  regency  and  the  convention  of  offi- 
cers argued  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  recede  from  the 
steps  already  taken ;  that  an  emperor  was  to  be  chosen,  and 
that  Iturbide  was  the  man ;  and,  having  already  dedicated 
himself  to  the  country,  they  demanded  his  compliance  with 
their  wishes.  Accordingly,  both  these  bodies  drew  up  me- 
morials, addressed  to  the  congress,  requesting  them  to  take 
the  subject  into  consideration.  These  memorials  were 
signed  also  by  the  president  of  the  congress,  and  presented 
to  that  body. 

When  the  deputies  convened,  the  galleries  and  entrances 
were  crowded  with  spectators ;  the  place  resounded  with 
applauses.  In  this  important  moment  all  was  excitement, 
and  the  calm  of  deliberation  was  prevented.  A  deputation 
was  immediately  appointed  to  wait  on  Iturbide,  and  request 
his  presence ;  the  duty  was  executed,  but  Iturbide  at  first 
declined  to  attend  at  the  sitting,  adding,  that  as  the  congress 
"  were  about  to  treat  of  him,  personally,  his  presence  might 
be  considered  as  a  restraint  on  the  freedom  of  debate,  and 
a  clear  and  frank  expression  of  each  individual  opinion." 
The  deputation,  however,  witii  several  general  officers,  re- 


APPENDIX.  42g 

turned  to  him,  and  insisted  on  1  \  compliance  with  the  invi- 
tation of  tiie  congress.  He  yielded  to  their  persuasion,  and 
while  repairing,  through  the  immense  throng  in  the  street, 
to  the  hall  in  which  the  deputies  were  sitting,  the  horses 
were  removed  froni  his  carriage,  and  the  vehicle  drawn  by 
the  people  to  the  doors  of  the  place,  amidst  the  shouts  and 
vivas  of  the  inhabitants;  and,  on  his  entrance,  the  acclama- 
tions were  renewed  with  equal  enthusiasm. 

Without  delay,  the  question  of  nomination  was  debated, 
and  not  a  single  member  opposed  the  measure ;  all  acquies- 
ced in  their  expressions  of  its  propriety  and  importance,  and 
but  few^  even  questioned  the  authority  of  the  congress  to 
act  on  the  subject.  These  were  of  the  opinion  that  the 
provinces  should  be  consulted,  and  a  formal  concurrence 
manifested  with  an  enlargement  of  the  powers  of  the  con- 
gress for  the  purpose.  Iturbide  rose  three  times  to  acqui- 
esce in  these  views,  and,  with  repeated  arguments,  recom- 
mended their  adoption.  But  the  majority  thought  otherwise, 
and  Iturbide  was  elected  emperor,  by  a  majority  of  seventy- 
seven  members,  out  of  ninety-two,  who  were  present  and 
voted.  As  was  before  remarked,  all  had  expressed  them- 
selves in  favour  of  his  election,  and  the  fifteen  who  voted 
in  the  minority  did  so  under  the  avowed  impression  that 
their  powers  were  too  limited,  expressing  at  the  same  time 
their  opinions  that  their  constituents  would  be  gratified  and 
unhesitatingly  sanction  the  action  of  the  congress. 

It  has  been  charged,  and  is  highly  probable,  that  the  fears 
of  the  deputies  were  aroused  by  the  excitement  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  presence  of  the  army  at  the  capital ;  neverthe- 
less, there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  power  and  duty  of  the 
congress  to  fill  the  vacant  throne ;  the  third  article  of  the 
treaty  of  Cordova,  which  had  been  fully  ratified  by  the  pro- 
vinces, made  it  expressly  incumbent  on  that  body ;  and  in 
selecting  Iturbide,  they  were  but  carrying  out  the  wishes  of 
the  authorities,  and  obeying  the  mandates  of  the  people  and 
the  army. 


416  APPENDIX. 

The  resolution  of  the  congress  was  immediately  despatch- 
ed to  all  the  departments,  towns,  and  garrisons,  and  without 
exception  met  with  the  entire  approbation  of  them  all. 
This  was  officially  notified  to  the  supreme  government, 
with  the  assurances  that  the  congress  had,  in  that  instance 
at  least,  gratified  the  desire  of  the  nation,  and  that  the  de- 
partments would  have  instructed  their  deputies  to  oflfcr  the 
crown  to  Iturbide,  but  that  they  had  sworn  to  support  the 
plan  of  Iguala  and  treaty  of  Cordova,  and  they  were  not  pre- 
viously aware  that  the  stipulation,  guaranteeing  the  crown 
to  the  Bourbon  family,  had  been  rendered  nugatory  by  the 
decree  of  the  court  of  Madrid,  and  the  contingency  oc- 
curred, by  which  the  Congress  were  permitted,  and  required 
to  offer  it  to  some  other  individual. 

It  will  be  proper  here  to  state,  that  Brigadier  Santa  Anna, 
then  a  Colonel  of  infantry  at  Vera  Cruz,  whose  biography  is 
also  appended  to  this  book,  was  one  of  the  first  officers  of 
the  provincial  garrisons  who  congratulated  Iturbide,  and  in 
his  despatches  to  the  latter,  declared  that  he  had  himself 
made  arrangements  to  proclaim  him  emperor  at  Vera  Cruz, 
in  case  it  had  not  been  done  at  the  city  of  Mexico.  This 
fact  is  only  worthy  of  remark,  because,  as  subsequent  events 
will  show,  this  individual  was  the  first  to  raise  the  standard 
of  revolt  against  the  government  of  the  empire. 

In  confirmation  of  the  vote  by  which  Iturbide  was  elect- 
ed emperor  on  the  19th  of  May,  the  congress,  on  the  22d 
of  June  following,  resolved,  without  a  dissenting  voice, — 
there  being  one  hundred  and  nine  members  j5resent, — that 
the  crown  should  be  hereditary  in  the  family  of  Iturbide  in 
lineal  succession ;  that  his  eldest  son,  as  heir  apparent, 
should  be  entitled  the  "  Prince  of  the  Empire,"  his  other  sons 
designated  as  "  Mexican  Princes ;  his  father  the  "  Prince  of 
the  Cnion,"  and  his  sister  the  "  Princess  de  Iturbide."  On 
the  same  occasion,  the  regulations  for  the  coronation  were 
established,  and  all  these  resolutions  adopted  without  the 
restraint  of  the  Emperor's  presence ;  in  the  absence  of  the 


APPENDIX.  ^Y'J 

military  and  the  populace ;  when  the  city  was  in  perfect 
quiet ;  without  compulsion  or  suggestion,  but  of  their  own 
accord  and  in  perfect  unanimity.  These  confirmatory  re- 
solutions, passed  more  than  a  month  after  the  event  of  the 
19th  of  May,  without  menace  or  restraint,  on  the  sole  res- 
ponsibility of  the  congress,  and  after  most  of  the  deputies 
had  had  time  to  consult  with,  and  hear  from  their  consti- 
tuents, show  conclusively,  that  the  elevation  of  Iturbide  to 
the  throne,  was  not  only  a  popular  step,  but  that  the  depu- 
ties were  aware  of  it,  and  yielded  whatever  objections  they 
previously  entertained,  to  the  wishes  of  the  people,  and  the 
necessities  of  the  case.  By  these,  and  the  former  acts  of 
this  congress,  the  official  ratification  of  the  Provinces,  and 
the  universally  expressed  approbation  of  the  people,  Iturbide 
was  made  and  acknowledged  the  Sovereign  of  Mexico,  by 
the  highest  and  most  solemn  acts,  by  which  any  individual 
can  be  invested  with  the  high  attributes  of  imperial  power. 

For  some  time  after  his  accession  to  the  throne,  the 
country  enjoyed  an  uninterrupted  repose ;  the  apprehen- 
sions of  foreign  invaders  had  passed  away ;  the  capital  and 
the  provinces  were  quiet,  and  the  discontents  of  the  factions 
in  the  congress  seemed  to  have  subsided.  But  little  time 
elapsed,  however,  before  the  latent  embers  of  discord  were 
again  fanned  into  a  blaze ;  the  congress  repeated  the  scenes 
that  preceded  the  coronation ;  clandestine  meetings  of  its 
members,  assembled  to  concoct  conspiracies  to  overthrow 
the  government,  were  detected  ;  reports  were  circulated  by 
these  cabals::— with  the  view  to  excite  the  fears  of  the  timid 
republicans,  and  the  jealousies  of  the  aspiring  Europeans — 
to  the  effect  that  Iturbide  aimed  at  absolute  power.  The 
repeated  charges  of  the  conspirators  were  circulated  in  the 
interior;  but  neither  the  authorities  nor  the  people  believed 
them,  and  indeed  disregarded  them  entirely,  except  to  de- 
nounce the  authors,  and  transmit  to  the  capital  the  intelli- 
gence and  proof  of  their  treason. 

Iturbide  notified  the  congress  officially,  that  certain  of 
27 


418 


APPENDIX. 


its  members  were  charged  with  conspiracy  and  treason,  and 
that  body  was  requested  to  inquire  into  the  facts.  To  this 
message  no  attention  was  given,  thepubUc  tranquillity  was 
again  threatened ;  the  discontents  of  the  people  were  fear- 
fully manifested  ;  they  regarded  the  congress  with  jealousy, 
and  the  Emperor  determined  on  ordering  the  arrest  of  the 
principal  deputies  engaged  in  the  conspiracy.  This  step  has 
since  been  condemned  by  many  persons,  but  was  undoubt- 
edly a  prerogative  of  the  Spanish  monarch ;  and  until  it 
was  abrogated  by  the  new  constitution  of  Mexico,  was 
equally  authoritative  there  as  in  Spain. 

On  the  26th  of  August,  the  deputies  accused  of  treason 
were  accordingly  arrested,  and  the  jJrima  facia  evidence  of 
their  guilt,  {siunaria,)  which  had  been  collected  by  order  of 
the  council  of  State,  placed  upon  the  public  records.  The 
congress  now  became  indignant  and  refractory,  and  de- 
manded that  the  imprisoned  deputies  should  be  given  up  to 
them,  for  trial  by  their  compeers.  Iturbide  refused  compli- 
ance with  this  demand;  because,  as  he  alleged,  the  con- 
gress yet  contained  many  other  individuals  suspected  or 
charged  with  being  participators  in  the  crimes  of  which  the 
arrested  were  accused,  and  it  had  disregarded  the  accusa- 
tions against  the  same  persons  previously  preferred  in  his 
message,  and  refused  to  institute  an  investigation  into  their 
truth. 

From  the  period  of  the  arrest,  up  to  the  30th  of  October, 
a  constant  contention  existed  between  the  congress  and  the 
Emperor.  By  this  time  the  popular  clamour  was  again 
aroused  against  the  former,  and  that  body  was  threatened 
with  forcible  dissolution.  The  provinces  refused  to  grant 
any  further  pay  to  their  representatives,  on  the  ground  that 
they  did  not  discharge  their  duties.  Several  of  them  had 
repudiated  the  plan  of  Iguala,  and  the  treaty  of  Cordova, 
from  their  places  in  the  congressional  palace,  and  were 
constantly  fomenting  disorder  and  discontent.  The  press 
and  the  political  writers  were  again  inveighing  against  the 


APPENDIX.  4jg 

congress,  which  had  become  the  contempt  of  the  people. 
The  position  of  affairs  throughout  the  country,  the  indiffer- 
ence and  wrangHng  of  the  deputies,  demanded  energetic 
action  on  the  part  of  the  government,  which  itself  must 
come  into  contempt,  if  it  longer  permitted  the  vacillating 
and  factious  leo-islaturc  to  disgrace  the  nation. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  the  Emperor  transmitted  his  des- 
patch to  the  President,  informing  him  that  the  congress 
over  which  he  presided  was  dissolved ;  and,  without  excite- 
ment or  violence  of  any  kind,  the  session  was  thereupon 
terminated.  From  all  parts  of  the  country  the  same  con- 
gratulations followed  this  act  of  the  Emperor  that  succeeded 
his  accession  to  the  throne ;  no  dissatisfaction  w^as  exhibit- 
ed ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  official  congratulations  and  con- 
firmations of  the  act,  were  received  from  the  various  de- 
partments. 

The  necessities  of  the  government  and  the  country  re- 
quired the  action  of  the  legislature  ;  and,  lest  the  measures 
about  to  be  adopted  by  the  Emperor,  for  the  public  relief, 
might  be  regarded  as  a  usurpation  of  power,  a  legislative 
council  was  organised,  composed  of  forty-five  of  the  late 
deputies,  representing  each  of  the  departments,  and  eight 
additional  members,  called  the  "  Istituent  Junta,"  whose  duty 
it  was  to  adopt  such  measures  as  immediate  emergencies 
called  for ;  and  also  to  frame  a  convocatoria  for  a  new  con- 
gress, in  conformity  with  the  plan  of  Iguala,  and  the  treaty 
of  Cordova,  avoiding  the  defects  and  errors  of  that  adopted 
by  the  "  Provisional  Junta."  This  measure  also  received 
the  general  approbation  of  the  country,  and  called  for  the 
renewed  congratulations  of  the  provinces  and  garrisons. 

At  this  period  all  was  tranquil  in  the  interior ;  the  gov- 
ernment was  in  successful  operation,  and  the  people  were 
apparently  contented  and  prosperous.  The  castle  of  San 
Juan  de  Ulloa,  however,  still  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Spanish  garrison,  and  it  became  an  object  of  the  govern- 
ment to  capture  that  fortress,  and  expel  the  last  armed  op- 


4 
^20  APPENDIX. 

ponent  of  the  revolution  from  the  country,  and,  by  that 
means,  cut  off  all  opportunities  of  communication  between 
Cuba  and  that  point.  Santa  Anna,  who,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  one  of  the  strongest  adherents  of  Iturbide,  and 
the  first  to  congratulate  him  on  his  accession  to  the  throne, 
held  the  station  of  commandant  of  the  garrison  of  Vera 
Cruz,  under  Echavari,  who  was  captain  general  of  the  pro- 
vince. Some  jealousies  and  animosities  sprang  up  between 
these  two  individuals,  in  reference  to  their  respective  au- 
thority, and  Santa  Anna  attempted  to  procure  the  assassi- 
nation of  Echavari.  In  this  he  was  baffled,  and  representa- 
tions of  the  circumstance,  with  several  other  serious  charges, 
were  made  against  him  to  the  Emperor,  by  the  former  cap- 
tain general,  the  consulate,  the  lieutenant  colonel  of  his  own 
regiment,  and  many  of  the  most  respectable  inhabitants  of 
Vera  Cruz.  At  the  same  time  Santa  Anna  visited  Iturbide, 
at  Jalapa,  to  answer  the  charges ;  the  interview  was  unsat- 
isfactory to  the  latter,  as  the  proofs  of  his  guilt  greatly  pre- 
ponderated his  defence,  and  in  consequence  he  was  deprived 
of  his  command.  Falling  into  a  violent  paroxysm  of  pas- 
sion at  this  result,  he  flew  back  to  the  garrison,  and,  by  en- 
dorsing the  charges  of  the  conspirators,  who  had  attempted, 
and  thus  far  failed,  to  overthrow  the  imperial  government, 
succeeded  in  persuading  the  troops  to  join  him,  and  raise 
the  standard  of  revolt.  At  the  city  of  Vera  Cruz  there  was 
greater  opposition  to  the  new  government  than  elsewhere, 
in  consequence  of  the  numerous  and  wealthy  Spanish  resi- 
dents of  the  place,  and  hence  the  garrison  were  the  more 
easily  persuaded  to  revolt. 

At  the  head  of  his  rebel  troops,  Santa  Anna  advanced 
upon  the  towns  of  Alvarado  and  Antigua;  these  surrender- 
ed, and  he  made  a  rapid  march  to  Jalapa,  M'here  he  attack- 
ed the  garrison,  but  was  signally  defeated,  and  compelled  to 
retreat.  The  two  former  towns  again  placed  themselves 
under  the  protection  of  the  government.  The  forces  of  the 
Emperor  were  at  this  time  very  strong,  and  commanded  by 


APPENDIX. 


421 


General  Echavari  and  Brigadier  Cortazar,  who  miglit  have 
easily  put  down  the  rebellion,  and  taken  possession  of  Vera 
Cruz.  But,  owing  to  the  want  of  celerity  in  their  move- 
ments, Santa  Anna  and  his  dispersed  followers  were  enabled 
to  reach  the  fortress  of  the  cit)',  which  was  defended  by 
two  hundred  mulattoes,  under  command  of  Don  Guadalupe 
Victoria.  Troops,  munitions,  and  money,  in  great  abun- 
dance, W'Cre  furnished  Echavari,  with  orders  to  reduce  the 
revolting  garrison,  and  there  was  no  obstacle  to  his  success. 
The  officers  at  Vera  Cruz,  including  Santa  Anna,  had  be- 
come alarmed  for  their  safety,  and  were  making  arrange- 
ments to  embark  on  board  a  vessel  to  escape  from  the  coun- 
try. Echavari,  however,  delayed  terminating  the  rebellion, 
which  a  few  days  would  have  sufficed  to  quell,  with  the  su- 
perior forces  under  his  command;  and,  indeed,' his  apathy 
induced  the  garrison  to  hold  out  until  the  2d  of  February, 
when  the  act  of  Casa  Mata  was  presented  to,  and  accepted 
by  both  armies,  which  terminated  the  contest — the  opposing 
forces  uniting  together,  as  then  alleged,  with  no  other  object 
than  to  procure  the  re-establishment  of  the  congress. 

The  conspiracies  set  on  foot  by  the  factious  deputies  were 
secretly  fomented  during  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  the  failure 
of  which  gave  additional  confidence  to  the  conspirators. 
On  the  1st  of  February,  nearly  two  thousand  troops  had 
collected  with  the  insurgent  chiefs,  and  held  their  head- 
quarters at  Casa  Mata.  The  Bourbonists  and  republicans 
had  coalesced,  and  were  in  open  opposition  to  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  measures  of  the  Emperor.  At  this  place  the 
convention  of  Casa  Mata  was  agreed  upon  by  the  insurgent 
army.  It  provided  that  the  congress  should  be  reinstated, 
the  provinces  be  permitted  to  return  their  "  former  deputies," 
with  some  few  exceptions ;  that  ihe  person  of  his  Majesty, 
the  Emperor,  should  be  respected,  as  he  was  asserted  to  be 
in  favour  of  national  representation,  and  that  copies  of  the 
convention  should  be  forwarded  to  him.  This  act,  agreed 
upon  by  two  thousand  insurgents,  dictating  to  the  country 


422 


A  P  P  E  N  D  I  X  . 


who  might,  or  who  should  not,  be  elected  to  the  congress ; 
an  act  which  acknowledged  the  rights  and  capacity  of  Itur- 
bide  as  Emperor,  and  only  purported  to  provide  for  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  congress,  proved  the  overthrow  of  the 
imperial  government. 

As  soon  as  the  leaders  at  Vera  Cruz  had  coalesced — Echa- 
vari  turninn;  traitor  to  the  government — the  combined  forces 
overrun  the  provinces  of  Vera  Cruz  and  Puebla.  The 
Marquis  de  Vivauco,  commandant  of  Puebla,  also  joined  in 
the  movement ;  and  two  of  the  niost  powerful  provinces 
were  thus  in  open  rebellion.  The  example  influenced  seve- 
ral others,  and  they  also  agreed  to  tlie  act  of  Casa  Mata. 
At  this  juncture  the  Emperor  placed  himself  at  the  head  of 
the  government  forces,  and  marched  out  to  meet  the  insur- 
gents ;  and,  on  his  reaching  their  vicinity,  commissioners 
from  the  two  armies  met,  and  agreed  upon  a  parley,  until 
the  national  congress  should  be  convened,  in  accordance 
with  the  new  convocatoria  framed  by  the  "  Instituent  Jun- 
ta," and  that  all  differences  between  them  should  be  decided 
by  that  body.  During  the  parley,  emissaries  were  sent  to 
all  the  departments  by  the  conspirators,  to  persuade  them  to 
conform  to  the  act  of  Casa  Mata. 

Iturbide,  in  accordance  with  the  agreement  entered  into 
with  the  commissioners,  issued  his  proclamation  for  a  new 
congress,  which  was  convened.  But  finding  that  he  had 
been  deceived  by  the  army,  and  deserted  by  some  of  his 
former  friends,  whose  individual  ambition  had  led  them  to 
oppose  him  ;  that  the  new  congress  was  composed  of  the 
same  individuals  who  were  engaged  in  the  insurrection,  and 
that  his  longer  continuance  in  a  position  which  so  greatly 
excited  the  envy  and  hostility  of  the  ambitious  aspirants 
who  filled  the  'congress,  would  be  productive  of  no  good  to 
the  country,  or  satisfaction  to  himself,  he  determined  forth- 
with to  abdicate  the  throne,  and  ask  permission  of  the  con- 
gress to  exile  himself  from  Mexico.  Whether  in  this  prop- 
osition, as  has  been  charged,  the  Emperor  was  actuated  by 


APPENDIX. 


423 


fear,  or  by  the  foregoing  suggestions,  and  a  desire  to  avoid 
the  animosities  and  strife  his  elevation  had  given  rise  to, 
must  be  decided  by  a  carelul  reference  to  the  facts.  His 
own  statement  is  worthy  of  regard,  and  will  be  read  with 
interest.     It  is  as  follows  : 

"  I  surrendered  my  power  (says  the  statement,)  because 
I  w^as  already  free  from  the  obligations  which  irresistibly 
compelled  me  to  accept  it.  The  country  did  not  want  my 
services  against  foreign  enemies,  because  at  that  time  it  had 
none.  As  to  her  domestic  foes,  far  from  being  useful  in  re- 
sisting them,  my  presence  might  have  proved  rather  preju- 
dicial to  her  than  otherwise,  because  it  might  have  been  used 
as  a  pretext  for  saying  that  war  was  made  against  my  am- 
bition, and  it  might  have  furnished  the  parties  a  motive  for 
prolonging  the  concealment  of  their  political  hypocrisy.  I 
did  not  abdicate  from  a  sense  of  fear ;  I  know  all  my  ene- 
mies, and  what  they  are  able  to  do.  With  no  more  than 
eight  hundred  men,  I  undertook  to  overthrow  the  Spanish 
government  in  the  northern  part  of  the  continent,  at  a  mo- 
ment when  it  possessed  all  the  resources  of  a  long  esta- 
blished government,  the  whole  revenue  of  the  country,  ele- 
ven European  expeditionary  regiments,  seven  veteran  regi- 
ments, and  seventeen  provincial  regiments  of  natives,  which 
were  considered  as  equal  to  troops  of  the  line,  and  seventy 
or  eighty  thousand  royalists,  who  had  firmly  opposed  the 
progress  of  Hidalgo's  plot.  Had  I  been  actuated  by  fear, 
would  I  have  exposed  myself  to  the  danger  of  assassina- 
tion, as  I  did,  by  divesting  myself  of  every  means  of  de- 
fence ? 

"  Nor  was  I  influenced  in  my  resignation  by  an  apprehen- ' 
sion  that  I  had  lost  any  thing  in'  the  good  opinion  of  the 
people,  or  in  the  affections  of  the  soldiers.  I  well  knew^ 
that  at  my  call  the  majority  of  them  would  join  the  brave 
men  who  were  already  wuth  me,  and  the  few  who  might 
waver,  would  either  imitate  their  example,  after  the  first 


APPENDIX. 


424 

action,  or  be  defeated.  I  had  the  greater  reason  to  depend 
on  the  principal  towns,  because  they  had  themselves  con- 
sulted me  with  respect  to  the  line  of  conduct  which  they 
ought  to  pursue  under  the  circumstances  of  the  moment, 
and  had  declared  that  they  would  do  no  more  than  obey 
my  orders,  which  were,  that  they  should  remain  quiet,  as 
tranquillity  was  most  conducive  to  their  interests  as  well  as 
to  my  reputation.  The  memorials  from  the  towns  will  be 
found  in  the  ministry  of  state  and  the  captaincy-general  of 
Mexico,  together  with  my  answers,  which  were  all  in  fa- 
vour of  peace  and  against  bloodshed. 

"  My  love  for  my  country  led  me  first  to  Iguala ;  it  in- 
duced me  to  ascend  the  throne,  and  to  descend  again  from 
so  dangerous  an  elevation ;  and  I  have  not  yet  repented 
either  of  resigning  the  sceptre  or  having  proceeded  as  I 
have  done.  1  have  left  the  land  of  my  birth  after  having 
obtained  for  it  the  greatest  of  blessings,  in  order  to  remove 
to  a  distant  country,  where  I  and  a  large  family,  delicately 
brought  up,  must  exist  as  strangers,  and  without  any  other 
resources  than  those  which  I  have  already  mentioned ;  to- 
gether with  a  pension,  upon  which  no  man  would  place 
much  dependance,  who  knows  what  revolutions  arc,  and  is 
acquainted  with  the  state  in  which  1  left  Mexico." 

The  new  congress  complied  with  the  requests  of  the  Em- 
peror, permitted  him  to  abdicate  the  throne  and  leave  the 
country;  and  passed  an  act  annulling  the  coronation,  the 
acts  of  his  government,  and  several  of  the  decrees  of  the 
former  congress.  It  also  settled  upon  him  during  life  a 
pension  of  $25,000  per  annum,  provided  that  he  should  take 
up  and  continue  his  residence  in  some  part  of  Italy,  and 
upon  his  family,  after  his  death,  unconditionally,  the  sum  of 
818,000  annually. 

Demonstrations  of  affection  and  respect  for  the  person 
and  position  of  Iturbide  were  manifested  to  so  great  a  de- 
gree at  the  capital,  as  to  render  it  necessary  to  occupy  the 


APPENDIX.  425 

streets  with  soldiers,  and  post  artillery  at  the  principal 
places ;  and  the  route  of  his  escort  to  the  coast  was  often 
intercepted  by  the  people  in  their  eagerness  to  pay  the  last 
tokens  of  regard  to  the  man  they  yet  loved  before  all  others. 
At  Tacubaya,  when  the  Marquis  de  Vivauco  addressed  the 
troops  on  the  subject  of  his  departure,  they  shouted  as  voci- 
ferously as  ever,  "  Live  Augustin  the  First." 

Iturbide  remained  in  Italy  but  five  months,  having  determin- 
ed to  go  to  England;  where,  learning  that  an  attempt  had  been 
made  to  establish  a  republican  government  in  Mexico,  and 
that  his  country  was  again  the  theatre  of  domestic  war,  he 
was  persuaded  to  return  and  offer  his  services  to  restore,  if 
possible,  happiness  and  tranquillity  to  the  nation.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  resolution  he  sent  several  communications  to 
the  government  offering  his  services,  and  embarked  on  board 
a  vessel  with  his  family  and  a  friend.  Col.  Charles  de  Be- 
neski,  and  arrived  off  the  bar  of  Soto  la  Marina  on  the  12th 
of  July,  1824.  Here  he  was  met  by  General  Garza,  the 
Governor  of  Tamaulipas,  who,  pretending  friendship  for 
Iturbide,  offered  his  assistance  in  forwarding  his  views,  but 
at  the  same  time  advised  him  to  surrender  himself  a  prisoner 
to  the  congress  of  Tamaulipas  and  abide  its  disposition, 
assuring  him  that  his  representations  to  that  assembly  would 
meet  with  favour. 

In  the  absence  of  Iturbide  the  national  congress  had  de- 
creed, that  "in  case  he  should  attempt  to  land  in  the  coun- 
try in  any  capacity  whatever,  he  should  be  declared  an  out- 
law," and  the  authorities  should  proceed  to  punish  him  as 
such.  He  was  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  this  denuncia- 
tion when  he  landed,  and  unconsciously  yielded  to  the 
treacherous  advice  of  Garza;  and  the  congress  of  Tamau- 
lipas with  the  utmost  precipitation,  and  without  giving  him 
a  trial,  or  even  a  hearing,  passed  sentence  of  death  upon 
him  in  pursuance  of  its  vindictive  construction  of  the  na- 
tional decree. 

The  interval  before  the  expiration  of  his  sentence  was  spent 


426 


APPENDIX. 


in  performing  the  last  duties  of  a  Christian ;  and  when  he 
was  brought  out  to  be  executed,  he  asked  and  obtained  per- 
mission to  address  the  soldiers,  w^hich  he  did  vn  the  follow- 
ing language: — "Mexicans!  in  this  last  moment  of  my  life 
I  recommend  to  you  the  love  of  your  country  and  the  due 
observance  of  our  holy  religion ;  it  is  religion  which  will 
lead  you  to  glory.  I  die  for  having  flown  to  your  assistance, 
and  die  happy  in  expiring  among  you.  I  leave  this  world 
with  honour  and  not  as  a  traitor — this  foul  stigma  shall  not 
attach  itself  to  the  fair  fame  of  my  descendants.  No,  it 
shall  never  be  said  that  I  was  a  traitor!  Preserve  strict 
subordination  and  be  obedient  to  your  commanders.  By 
acting  in  conformity  to  their  mandates  you  will  obey  those 
of  your  Creator.  I  do  not  address  you  from  any  motives  of 
vanity,  for  I  am  far  from  harbouring  them.  From  the  bot- 
tom of  my  heart  I  forgive  all  my  enemies — really  from  my 
heart."  These  were  the  last  w^ords  of  the  "  Hero  of  Igu- 
ala"  and  the  "  Liberator  of  Mexico."  With  his  own  hands, 
(says  a  by-stander,)  he  adjusted  the  bandage  upon  his  eyes, 
knelt  down,  and  receiving  two  balls  in  his  forehead  and  two 
in  his  heart,  fell  dead. 

Thus  was  ended  the  career  of  Don  Augustin  de  Iturbide, 
the  greatest  statesman,  the  best  man,  the  purest  patriot,  and 
the  greatest  benefactor  of  his  country,  of  any  of  his  cotem- 
poraries  in  Mexico.  He  fell  by  the  treachery  of  his  pre- 
tended friend,  Garza,  and  the  unjust  and  ungrateful  decision 
of  the  congress  of  Tamaulipas. 

The  highly  interesting  family  of  this  distinguished  man, 
consisting  of  Mrs.  De  Iturbide,  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, now  reside  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  are  objects 
of  tiie  highest  regard  to  a  great  portion  of  the  Mexican  na- 
tion— a  nation  that  now  mourns  the  loss  of  its  greatest  be- 
nefactor and  patriot,  and  too  late  discovers  and  laments  the 
errors  and  crimes  of  the  factions  which  were  instrumental 
in  overthrowing  his  government. 


A  P  P  E  \  D  I  X . 


427 


ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA, 

EX-DICTATOR  OF  MEXICO. 

This  remarkable  man,  who  has  occupied  a  greater  space 
than  any  of  his  cotemporarics  since  Iturbidc,  in  the  history  of 
the  Mexican  RepubUc,  was  born  in  tlie  department  of  Vera 
Cruz.  Springing  from  an  obscure  and  indigent  family,  he  has 
been  the  architect  of  his  own  character  and  fortunes,  and  by 
his  intuitive  energy,  talents,  and  ambition,  has  risen  to  the 
highest  stations  of  his  country, — passing  through  all  the 
grades  of  rank,  from  a  subaltern  in  the  field,  to  the  leader  of 
armies,  and  finally  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation. 

In  early  life,  with  an  inadequate  education,  he  joined  the 
army,  and  for  some  time  was  more  distinguished  for  his 
severe  application  to  the  study  of  the  military  science  and 
the  necessary  accomplishments  of  the  gentleman,  than  his 
success  in  the  practical  duties  of  the  soldier.  With  a  natu- 
ral suavity  of  manners,  refined  by  his  intercourse  with  the 
best  society  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  discipline  of  a  studious 
and  observing  mind,  he  acquired  a  facility  of  address  that 
rendered  him  at  once  conspicuous  in  the  camp,  and  secured 
the  favourable  and  friendly  notice  of  his  superiors,  both  in 
the  army  and  the  society  in  which  he  was  admitted. 

Taking  advantage  of  his  popularity,  he  was  soon  enabled 
to  rise  to  inferior  commands,  in  which  he  invariably  distin- 
guished himself.  While  yet  a  lieutenant,  at  the  head  of 
thirty  men,  he  attacked  and  vanquished  a  party  of  Indians? 
numbering  about  thfee^hundrod  and  twenty,  well  armed, 
and  occupying  a  strong  position  in  the  deep  gorge  of  a 
mountain,  which  he  forced  at  the  head  of  his  small  squad  of 
regulars.  But  it  was  generally  by  the  subtilty  of  his  ma- 
noeuvres, and  the  success  of  his  stratagems,  that   he  ob- 


428  APPENDIX. 

tained  his  earlier,  as  well  as  later  laurels ;  and  there  is  no 
trait  in  the  Mexican  soldier  held  in  higher  appreciation — 
not  even  that'of  courage — (although  Santa  Anna  was  never 
supposed  to  be  Avanting  in  that  respect,)  than  a  successful 
subtilty  in  forming  and  executing  plans  to  baffle  his  enemy. 
As  early  as  1815,  he  had  commended  himself  to  the  favour- 
able regard  of  the  leaders  of  the  country,  and  was  rapidly 
rising  in  wealth,  military  rank,  and  political  influence. 
One  of  the  first  friends  of  the  revolution,  he  ranged  himself 
in  the  ranks  of  the  liberals,  and  warmly  espoused  the  friend- 
ship and  plans  of  Iturbide ;  and  on  the  promulgation  of  the 
new  plan  of  government,  on  the  24th  of  February,  1821, 
he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  a  small  and  badly  organized 
force,  and  pronounced  in  favour  of  the  movement  of  Itur- 
bide, attacked  the  Spanish  garrison  at  Vera  Cruz,  and  com- 
pelled them  to  evacuate  the  city  and  confine  themselves  to 
the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  which  fortress,  however, 
(one  of  the  strongest  in  the  world,)  commanded  the  entrance 
to  the  harbour.  The  position  of  the  commander  of  the 
forces  at  Vera  Cruz,  was  one  of  the  first  importance,  and 
gave  great  power  and  responsibility  to  the  incumbent. 
These  he  was  in  every  respect  capable  of  discharging  with 
ability  and  success,  and  thereupon  was  appointed  Com- 
mandant-general of  the  department. 

While  acting  in  this  capacity  he  gave  offence  to  the  Em- 
peror Augustin,  in  consequence  of  his  treatment  to  a  supe- 
rior officer,  General  Echavari,  and  was  dismissed  from  the 
command  of  the  department.  This  incensed  Santa  Anna, 
who,  leaving  Iturbide  at  Jalapa  with  the  courier  bearing 
the  order  of  his  dismissal,  reached  Vera  Cruz  before  the 
arrival  of  the  messenger  with  the  intelligence  of  his  dis- 
grace, and  influenced  the  garrison,  with  whom  he  was  popu- 
lar, against  the  alleged  usui'pations  of  the  Emperor,  who,  he 
declared,  had  "  acted  the  usurper ;  having  forcibly  dissolved 
the  national  Cortes,  and  imprisoned  several  of  its  members 
who  had  refused  to  submit  to  his  dictation ;  and  that  he  had 


APPENDIX 


429 


assembled  in  their  stead  a  venal  junta  that  more  perfectly 
reflected  the  will  of  its  imperial  master." 

By  such  representations  he  was  successful  in  stimulating 
his  soldiers  to  revolt,  and  immediately  prepared  to  com- 
mence hostilities  against  the  emperor.  He  issued  his  "  pro- 
nuiiciamento"  against  the  government  of  the  "Usurper," 
and  called  on  his  countrymen,  in  other  departments,  to  aid 
him  "  in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  a  tyrant,  who  had 
laboured  to  deliver  them  from  foreign  bondage,  only  to  fas- 
ten upon  them  the  chains  of  a  domestic  despotism."  The 
republican  party  of  Mexico,  unwilling  to  sacrifice  what  they 
had  won  from  Spain,  to,  v/hat  they  imagined  to  be,  the  am- 
bition of  one  man,  and  inspired  by  the  boldness  and  strength 
of  Santa  Anna,  whose  renown  was  already  coextensive 
with  the  land,  readily  joined  his  standard,  and  several  other 
garrisons  and  departments  immediately  followed  the  exam- 
ple of  Vera  Cruz. 

Guadalupe  Victoria,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  talent- 
ed republicans  of  the  country,  who  had  been  compelled  to 
escape  from  the  persecution  and  pursuit  of  individual  ene- 
mies, at.this  time  emerged  from  his  retreat,  and  leading  the 
new  revolution,  succeeded  in  dethroning  Iturbide,  who  went 
into  voluntary  exile  from  the  country;  and,  in  establishing 
the  Federal  Constitution  of  1824,  after  the  plan  of  that  of 
the  United  States,  being,  with  few  exceptions,  copied  from 
that  instrument.  In  these  exceptions,  however,  was  sacri- 
ficed the  safeguards  of  republican  liberty ;  for,  while  there 
was  no  provision  for  the  right  of  trial  by  jury — that  great 
palladium  of  popular  liberty — there  was  inserted  an  article 
giving  to  all  classes  equal  rights  of  citizenship,  without  re- 
gard to  intelligence,  property,  or  colour.  Another  provi- 
sion declared  the  Roman  CatholiCj_and  no  other,  to  be  the 
religion  of  Mexico — thus  destroying  the  right  of  men  to 
think  or  act  for  themselves — enslaving  their  consciences', 
and  giving  to  a  priesthood,  however  corrupt,  the  entire  spi- 
ritual dominion  over  the  people. 


APPENDIX. 


430 

In  1824,  Guadalupe  Victoria  was  installed  the  first  Pre- 
sident of  Mexico.  A  virtuous  and  patriotic  man,  his  only- 
aim  was  the  establishment  of  his  country's  independence, 
and  the  promotion  of  constitutional  liberty.  Aware  of  the 
success  of  the  republican  experiment  in  the  United  States 
of  the  north,  and  an  ardent  admirer  of  American  charac- 
ter, he  readily  listened  to  the  plans  of  colonizing  the  unoc- 
cupied public  lands  with  American  settlers ;  and  it  was  un- 
der his  administration  that  the  colonization  experiment 
commenced. 

For  a  time,  Mexico  gave  evidence  of  good  order  and 
good  government ;  but  she  was  not  destined  to  a  long  re- 
pose from  anarchy  and  bloodshed.  Santa  Anna,  who  was 
the  father  of  the  reyolution^which  resulted  in  establishing  the 
federal  constitution,  having  himself  borne  an  active  part  in  the 
contest;  in  perfecting  the  constitution  itself,  and  elevating  the 
virtuous  and  patriotic  Victoria  to  the  presidency,  was  the  first 
man  to  stir  up  civil  war  and  raise  the  standard  of  revolt.  In 
the  prosecution  of  his  traitorous  designs,  he  left  Vera  Cruz 
with  a  considerable  force,  in  the  early  part  of  1825,  landed 
at  Tampico,  and,  meeting  with  no  resistance,  marched  to  the 
city  of  San  Louis  Potosi,  the  capital  of  the  department  of 
that  name,  proclaiming  himself  the  "  Protector  of  the  Re- 
public." The  new  government,  however,  was  too  popular 
with  the  people,  and  possessed  sufficient  strength  to  put 
dowai  the  revolution.  Santa  Anna,  already  perjured,  by 
having  violated  the  sacred  instrument  he  had  not  only  aided 
:n  erecting,  but  sworn  to  support  and  defend,  was  compelled 
again  to  submit  to  the  government,  and  take  a  second  oath 
of  allegiance  to  its  authority  and  the  constitution.  During 
the  remainder  of  President  Victoria's  term,  which  expired 
in  1828,  he  remained  in. retirement  at  his  pj^-jncipal  estate  of 
Monga  de  Clavo,  awaiting  the  first  opportunity,  after  the 
popular  indignation  had  subsided,  to  make  his  reappearance. 
This  did  not  occur  until  after  the  next  election.  The  con- 
test for  the  second  term  of  the  chief-magistracy  was  one  of 


APPENDIX.  43 J 

the  most  remarkable  and  violent  political  strifes  ever  known 
in  that  country. 

There  were  but  two  candidates,  Gomez  Pedraza  and  Ge- 
neral Guerrero,  who  were  respectively  the  favourites  of  two 
distinct  masonic  fraternities,  each  entertaining  peculiar,  but 
opposite  notions  of  government ;  the  former  was  the  candi- 
date of  the  York  lodge,  which  imbibed  its  political  princi- 
ples, and  received  its  name  from  the  New  York  masons, 
under  the  auspices  and  direction  of  the  foreign  republican 
legations  at  Mexico ;  the  latter  was  the  candidate  of  the 
Escoces,  or  Scotch  lodge — inculcating  the  principles  of 
monarchical  government,  under  the  influence  of  certain 
European  diplomatists  in  that  country. 

The  excitement  which  prevailed  throughout  the  republic 
can  scarcely  be  imagined ;  the  popular  fury  was  wrought 
up  to  the  highest  pitch,  by  these  secret  rival  factions ;  and 
the  experiment — it  is  to  be  hoped  the  last — abundantly 
proves  the  danger  of  using  two  such  tremendous  engines  of 
prejudice  and  power  in  popular  elections.  Communities, 
individuals,  and  families,  were  arrayed  against  each  other 
in  hostile  attitude,  and  the  plains  of  Mexico  were  again  red- 
dened with  the  blood  of  civil  war.  But  Pedraza,  the  re- 
publican lodge  candidate,  was  triumphant,  having  been 
elected  by  a  majority  Of  one  vote  in  the  electoral  college. 

Pedraza  was  in  the  chair — the  popular  war  had  not  sub- 
sided— no  influence  or  power  seemed  capable  of  quieting 
the  troubled  waves.  At  this  propitious  period  for  the  trai- 
torous agkato:!:,  Santa  Anna  again  made  'his  appearance, 
»and,  raising  an  army,  composed  of  discontented  soldiers, 
and  the  disappointed  mob,  who  had  failed  to  elect  Guerrero, 
took  immediate  possession  of  the  strong  castle  of  Perote, 
and  published  a  pronunciamento  against  the  election  of  Pe- 
draza, declaring  it  to  be  a  cheat ;  and  that  General  Guerre- 
ro was  the  constitutional  President  of  Mexico. 

In  his  first  attempt  to  subvert  the  government,  he  was  de- 
feated and  compelled  to  evacuate  Perote,  and  fly  to  a  re- 


432 


APPENDIX, 


treat  in  the  mountains  of  Oajaca,  where  he  joined  a  band  of 
brigands,  a  refugee  from^he  violated  constitution  and  out- 
rased  laws  of  his  country.  But  he  was  not  destined  to  re- 
main  long  in  concealment;  the  revolution  he  began,  had 
progressed  successfully  at  the  capital ;  Pedraza  was  deposed 
and  driven  into  exile,  and  Guerrero  succeeded  to  the  sta- 
tion of  President.  Santa  Anna  was  immediately  afterwards 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  same  army  which  had  de- 
feated him  at  Perote,  and  also  Governor  of  Vera  Cruz ;  and 
subsequently,  in  May,  1829,  was  called  into  Guerrero's 
cabinet  as  Secretary  of  War  and  Marine. 

Spain  had  not  yet  surrendered  her  claims  to  Mexico,  and  on 
the  27th  of  July,  1829,  landed  a  considerable  force  at  Tam- 
pico  under  command  of  General  Barradas,  for  the  purpose 
of  re-subjugating  the  country.  At  this  crisis,  Santa  Anna  was 
called  into  the  field,  and  placed  in  command  of  the  Mexican 
army,  which  he  immediately  marched  to  Tampico,  and, 
after  a  siege  of  but  a  few  days,  compelled  the  royal  forces 
to  capitulate.  This  was  the  last  attempt  of  Spain  to  re- 
establish its  authority  in  Mexico ;  ^jjid-_Santa  Anna  had  the 
honour  of  terminating  the  war, — by  which  was  achieved 
tlTe~independence  of  his  country^ 

About  this  period  another  revolution  broke  out  under  the 
lead  of  General  Bustamente,  who  had  collected  a  large 
force,  pronounced  against  the  government,  and  succeeded 
in  taking  captive  the  usurper  Guerrero,  who  was  tried  and 
executed  for  high  treason.  Bustamente,  who  had  been 
mainly  instrumental  in  deposing  the  constitutional  president 
Pedraza,  and  elevating  Guerrero,  was  the  first  to  question 
the  rights  and  authority  of  the  latter,  and  after  his  over- 
throw, seized  the  reins  of  government  to  himself 

Santa  Anna,  although  the  bosom  friend,  the  sworn  coun- 
sellor, member  of  the  cabinet  and  commander  of  the  armies 
of  Guerrero,  offered  no  sufficient  resistance  to  the  revolu- 
tion, which  he  might  have  put  down,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
soon  acquiesced  in  it.     In  1832,  again  tired  of  the  calm  of 


APPENDIX. 


433 


peace  and  the  absence  of  bloodshed,  he  stirred  up  another  re- 
volution, published  his  ■pronunciamento  against  Bustamente, 
overthrew  him, and  banished  him  from  the  country.  And  now 
to  make  his  m consistency  consistent,  he  affected  to  recall 
the  exiled  Pedraza,  whom  a  few  years  before  he  was  the 
first  to  raise  a  revolution  to  overthrow,  and  set  him  up  a 
living  puppet  in  the  presidential  chair,  the  tool  of  the  un- 
blushing traitor  and  tyrant,  to  chisel  out  and  execute  the 
plans  to  secure  his  own  election  to  the  presidency  of  Mex- 
ico. 

In  the  brief  period  before  the  expiration  of  Pedraza's 
term,  Santa  Anna,  the  active  director  of  affairs  behind  the 
scene,  had  managed  to  turn  every  influence  of  the  govern- 
ment to  bear  on  his  election.  The  people,  accustomed  to 
violence  and  misrule,  cared  little  who  occupied  the  presi- 
dential  chair,  and  hoped  ^n_the  elevation  of  the  leading 
spiritof  treason  and^  rebellion,  to  put  an  end  to  the  con- 
stanTrecurrence  of  civil  war  and  bloodshed,  such  as  had 
hitherto  desolated  the  country  at  brief  intervals  ;  and  if  there 
was  virtue  in  the  nation  sufficient  to  govern  it  honestly  and 
properly,  it  did  not  make  its  appearance  among  the  aspi- 
rants to  the  presidential  office. 

In  1833  Santa  Anna  was  duly  elected  and  installed  Pre- 
sident, and  for  a  few  months  the  people  of  this  ill-starred  re- 
public enjoyed  a  happy  repose  from  the  turmoil  and  deso- 
lation of  domestic  war.  The  president  had  promised  before 
his  election  to  sustain  the  federal  constitution,  and,  at  his 
installation,  had  solemnly  sworn  to  support  it  and  adminis- 
ter the  laws  of  the  constitutional  congress.  ''  He  had,  at  this 
time,  collected  together  a  large  army  near  the  citj  of  Mex- 
ico, for  the  avowed  purpose  of  quieting  a  local  revolution ; 
it  was  arranged  with  his  officers  to  prepare  for  military  in- 
spection, when  the  signal  should  be  given  on  the  approach 
of  Santa  Anna,  and  the  soldiers  were  to  proclaim  him  dic- 
tator. The  arrangements  were  accordingly  made,  and  at 
the  appointed  signal,  his  generals  and  their  obedient  soldiers 
28 


^3^  APPENDIX. 

shouted  "  long  live  Santa  Anna,  long  live  the  Dictator  of 
Mexico!"  But  the  artifice  failed;  the  majority,  with  the 
city  garrison,  were  opposed  to  the  movement.  Santa  Anna, 
to  conceal  his  chagrin  and  mortification,  afl^ected  not  to  * 
have  known  the  design  of  his  leaders,  and  immediately  con- 
demned those  most  zealous  in  his  interest  to  banishment 
from  the  country. 

In  1834,  by  military  force,  he  dissolved  the  legislative 
council  of  the  government,  and  effectually  overthrew  the 
federal  constitution  of  1824,  establishing  instead,  a  central 
military  despotism.  He  deposed  governors  of  departments 
who  refused  to  obey  his  mandates  by  force  of  arms ;  dis- 
solved refractory  state  legislations  by  the  same  means,  and 
directed  who  should  be  sent  from  his  subservient  depart- 
ments, as  members  of  the  house  of  deputies. 

The  inhabitants  of  Zacatecas  and  Coahuila  and  Texas, 
resisted  these  usurpations  and  encroachments  of  this  dicta- 
tor of  centralism,  and  refused  to  comply  with  his  tyrannical 
inhibitions.  At  the  city  of  Zacatecas,  five  thousand  inhabi- 
tants of  the  department  had  determined  to  defend  the  con- 
stitution of  1824.  They  had  gathered  around  the  already 
prostrate  form  of  the  goddess  of  liberty,  and  swoi*n  that  the 
plains  of  Zacatecas  should  flow  with  the  blood  of  its  brave 
sons  before  they  w-ould  surrender  to  the  despot.  Santa 
Anna  knew  the  bravery  of  the  Zacatecans, — the  best  soldiers 
and  most  patriotic  people  of  Mexico, — and  feared  to  com- 
bat them  on  fair  terms.  With  his  characteristic  duplicity 
and  subtlety,  he  affected  to  quarrel  with  one  of  his  favourite 
generals,  who  fled  from  his  ranks,  and  pretending  to  join  the 
liberal  party,  sought  shelter  in  Zacatecas.  The  reputation 
of  this  oflicer,  as  a  soldier,  gained  his  admission  to  the  army 
which  had  enlisted  in  defence  of  the  constitution,  and  he 
was  forthwith  placed  in  command.  But  no  sooner  did 
Santa  Anna  make  his  appearance  before  the  impregnable 
city  of  Zacatecas,  thc.n  this  mercenary  leader  induced  the 
constitutional  army  to  leave  their  secure  position  in  the  city 


A  PPENDIX. 


435 

and  encamp  in  sight  of  the  central  forces,  possessing  twice 
their  numerical  strength.  In  this  position  night  came 
on,  the  horses  of  the  Zacatecans  had  been  purposely  sent 
away  to  graze,  and  the  sentinels  withdrawn  from  their 
posts,  when  Santa  Anna  immediately  put  his  troops  in  mo- 
tion, surrounded  the  camp  of  the  liberals  and  attacked  them 
at  great  advantage;  a  tremendous  slaughter  ensued,  and 
those  of  the  Zacatecans  who  did  not  surrender  or  escape, 
were  immediately  put  to  the  sword. 

After  this  inglorious  victory  on  the  part  of  the  president, 
his  soldiers  were  turned  loose  upon  the  city,  and  the  scene 
that  followed  baffles  description.  Beautiful  and  unoffending 
women  were  dragged  from  their  couches  and  violated  in 
IHe^public  streetsl~Babes  were  murdered^  in  their  sleep  or 
upon  jtheixjnMEeHsIIErfiast._- Foreigners  were  assassinated 
at  noon  day,  and  robberies  and  thefts  committed  in  the  most 
fearful  and  appalling  excesses.  Zacatecas  was  thus  sub- 
dued and  submitted ;  and  Santa  Anna  forthwith  despatched 
a  division  of  his  forces,  under  General  Cos,  to  Monclova, 
the  seat  of  government  of  the  state  of  Coahuila  and  Texas, 
with  orders  to  humble  that  department,  and  immediately  re- 
turned himself  to  the  city  of  Mexico. 

General  Cos,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  ordered  the  po- 
litical authorities  of  the  state  to  deliver  up  to  the  central 
government,  the  governor  of  Coahuila  and  Texas,  several 
members  of  the  legislature,  and  other  prominent  citizens, 
including  some  American  settlers  in  Texas.  This  order 
was  disobeyed ;  and  the  legislature  of  Coahuila  and 
Texas  was  thereupon  forcibly  dissolved,  and  the  governor, 
to  avoid  arrest,  was  compelled  to  escape.  The  act  of  state 
confederation  was  thereby  destroyed ;  and,  to  attain  the 
climax  of  military  despotism,  the  arms  of  the  American  citi- 
zens, east  of  the  Rio  Grande,  were  ordered  to  be  delivered 
up.  These  demands  were  peremptorily  refused.  The  in- 
habitants of  Texas,  the  gi^eater  part  of  whom  were  nursed 
in  the  cradles  of  American  liberty,  assembled  together  in 


^gg  A  P  P  K  N  D  I  X  . 

primary  meetings,  simultaneously  throughout  the  country, 
and  resolved  to  resist  the  usurpations  of  the  tyrant. 

General  Cos,  with  an  army  of  fifteen  hundred  centralists, 
was  already  in  Texas,  having  reached  and  entrenched  him- 
self in  the  fortified  town  of  San  Antonia  de  Bexar.  From 
thence  he  sent  a  detachment  of  more  than  200  strong,  under 
command  of  Col.  Castonado,  to  the  town  of  Gonzales,  and 
upon  its  reaching  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Gaudaloupe,  the 
commander  ordered  the  inhabitants  to  send  him  their  can- 
non. This  they  refused  to  do,  but  proceeded  immediately 
to  collect  a  force  to  protect  it.  A  small  party  of  Ameri- 
cans— about  100  in  number — were  soon  raised,  and  the  an- 
swer was  returned  to  the  Mexican  officer,  that  he  could 
have  the  contents,  but  not  the  cannon.  The  forces,  there- 
upon, met,  the  centralists  outnumbering  the  Americans 
about  two  to  one ;  but  the  action  was  brief,  and  resulted  in 
the  perfect  defeat  of  Castonado,  who  was  compelled,  after  a 
considerable  loss,  to  retreat  to  San  Antonio.  The  battle  of 
Gonzales  has  been  fitly  styled  the  "  Lexington  of  the  Texan 
revolution,"  and  like  its  great  prototype,  was  the  opening  of 
the  war,  and  a  contest  for  ordnance. 

The  people  of  Texas,  determinsd  not  to  be  subdued  with- 
out an  effort,  at  least,  to  oppose  the  designs  of  Santa  Anna, 
had  already  called  a  convention  of  deputies  from  the  vari- 
ous districts,  and  declared  themselves  in  favour  of  the  fed- 
eral constitution  of  1824,  which  they  alleged  had  been  sub- 
verted by  a  military  despot — and  called  on  the  citizens  and 
authorities  of  the  other  departments  of  Mexico,  to  sustain 
them  in  the  defence  of  constitutional  liberty.  Their  appeal 
was  disregarded,  or  only  met  with  opposition ;  but,  never- 
theless, preparations  w-ere  made  to  defend  their  position, 
and  meet  the  coming  shock. 

General  Burleson  was  before  the  walls  of  the  Alamo,  with 
six  hundred  American  federalists,  awaiting  the  progress  of 
events,  when  the  brave  General  Milam,  who  had  just  esca- 
ped from  the  dungeons  of  the  interior,  made  his  appearance 


APPENDIX.  ^g-y 

and  called  for  volunteers  to  join  him,  for  the  purpose  of  at- 
tacking General  Cos,  and  driving  Santa  Anna's  forces  from 
the  country.  Two  hundred  and  sixteen  gallant  fellows  step- 
ped forth  from  Burleson's  ranks.  Milam  immediately  at- 
tacked the  garrison,  which  occupied  the  strongly  fortified 
public  square  of  San  Antonia,  with  fifteen  hundred  men, 
well  armed,  and  prepared  to  sustain  a  siege  of  six  months. 
The  deadly  American  rifle  told  upon  its  victim  at  every  dis- 
charge ;  the  siege  lasted  for  five  days  and  nights,  with  in- 
cessant labour  on  the  part  of  the  besiegers,  when  the  garri- 
son capitulated,  with  the  loss  of  more  men  than  were  enga- 
ged in  the  ranks  of  their  victors,  and  the  surrender  of  sev- 
eral hundred  stands  of  arms,  military  stores  and  baggage. 
But  the  loss  of  the  Texans,  though  small  in  number,  was  ir- 
reparable. The  brave  Milam  was  shot  through  the  head, 
and  several  others  were  killed  and  wounded. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  news  of  the  discomfiture  of  Cos,  at 
the  capital,  Santa  Anna  immediately  organised  his  forces 
for  the  invasion  of  Texas,  and  placing  himself  at  the  head 
of  an  army  of  10,000  mercenary  troops,  advanced  upon  the 
country  in  the  winter  of  1836. 

He  raised  a  blood-red  flag,  and  threatened  before  his  re- 
turn to  exterminate  every  American  between  the  Rio  Grande 
and  Sabine.  His  army  of  advance,  numbering  about  six 
thousand,  under  command  of  General  Sesma,  was  already 
in  the  confines  of  Texas  ;  Colonel  Travis,  with  only  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  Texians,  occupied  the  fortress  of  the 
Alamo,  at  San  Antonia.  This  gallant  officer  immediately 
despatched  his  messenger  to  the  east,  calling  on  his  coun- 
trymen for  assistance.  The  advance  forces  of  Santa  Anna 
soon  after  surrounded  the  Alamo,  and  were  actually  besieg- 
ing the  fort.  Travis  despatched  a  second  messenger,  calling 
again  for  assistance,  and  closed  his  appeal  with  this  memo- 
rable language : — 

^^  The  enemy  have  demanded  a  surrender  at  disci-etion, 


AQg  APPENDIX. 

otherwise  the  gari'ison  is  to  be  put  to  the  sword.  I  have 
answered  his  summons  with  a  cannon  shot.  Our  flag  still 
floats  proudly  from  the  walls.  We  shall  never  surrender 
or  retreat.     Liberty  or  death  !" 

But  prudence  dictated  rather  that  Travis  should  have 
evacuated  the  Alamo;  for,  to  send  more  men,  with  the  lim- 
ited number  then  in  the  ranks  of  the  Texians,  was  only  to 
deliver  them  to  certain  sacrifice,  and  close  all  chance  of 
final  success. 

The  siege  had  lasted  for  six  days — the  handful  of  brave 
Texians  successfully  repulsing  every  attack  of  the  besiegers, 
when  Santa  Anna  arrived  with  the  remainder  of  his  army, 
numbering  about  four  thousand,  and  took  command  of  the 
entire  force  in  person.  The  battle  continued  for  four  days 
longer,  with  still  greater  fury,  until  the  firing  from  the  Ala- 
mo was  nearly  silenced.  The  scaling  ladders  were  then  ap- 
plied to  the  walls,  and  two  unsuccessful  attempts  were  made 
to  pass  them  ;  the  Texians  repulsing  their  assailants  with  the 
butts  of  their  rifles,  producing  great  slaughter.  The  third 
attempt  was  more  successful,  and  hundreds  of  centrahsts 
poured  over  the  walls  ;  the  Americans  fought  them  with 
terrible  desperation,  until  they  were  all  slain — life  oozing  out 
of  them  through  the  loss  of  blood,  from  their  numerous 
wounds.  Of  this  little  band  not  a  man  asked  for  quarter, 
and  in  the  agonies  of  death  many  mortal  wounds  were  in- 
flicted on  their  foes.  The  Alamo  w^as  taken,  but  its  Spar- 
tan defenders  were  not  conquered  ;  fifteen  hundred  of  Santa 
Anna's  followers  were  killed  in  the  engagement,  being  ten 
times  the  entire  number  of  Texians  engaged.  The  pages  of 
history  scarcely  furnish  a  parallel  in  military  heroism  or 
achievement.  Here  was  a  handful  of  men,  assailed  by  sev- 
enty times  their  number,  sustaining  a  hopeless  siege  of  ten 
days,  without  a  relaxation  of  courage  or  effort,  until  the 
last  man  had  fallen,  and  every  spirit  had  taken  its  departure 
from  its  mangled  and  bleeding  tenement.     This  was  the  sa- 


APPENDIX.  43g 

crificial  altar  of  the  Texian  revolution  ;  here  fell  its  bravest 
spirits — Travis,  Crockett,  Bonham,  and  Bowie;  the  latter, 
by  order  of  Santa  Anna,  was  butchered  on  his  sick  couch. 
The  ordinary  rites  of  Christian  burial  were  denied  the  re- 
mains of  these  brave  men — the  bodies  of  the  entire  number 
were  taken  outside  the  walls,  thrown  together,  and  burned. 

So  intimately  connected  was  the  cause,  origin,  and  pro- 
gress of  the  Texian  revolt,  with  the  history  of  Santa  Anna, 
that  the  author  will  be  readilv  excused  for  dwelling  more 
minutely  on  these  events. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  revolution  began  in  the 
resistance  of  several  of  the  eastern  provinces  of  Mexico, 
including  Texas,  to  the  military  encroachments  and  civil 
usurpation  of  Santa  Anna.  The  first  convention  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Texas,  called  to  consider  the  state  of  public  affairs, 
declared  for  the  federal  constitution,  which  they  had  sworn 
to  support,  and  which  the  president  had  overthrown — de- 
stroying the  fundamental  basis  of  State  confederation,  and 
the  liberty  of  the  States — imprisoning  their  legislators  and 
deposing  their  governors  ;  Zacatecas  had  been  cheated,  and 
Coahuila  had  submitted ;  and  the  call  of  Texas  for  aid  to 
assist  in  restoring  the  constitution  and  the  liberty  of  the  na- 
tion, had  been  disregarded  by  the  friends  of  federalism  in 
Mexico ;  Santa  Anna  with  a  powerful  army  w^as  overrun- 
ning the  country  ;  the  blood-red  flag  of  total  extermination 
was  planted  in  the  west ;  the  bravery  and  valour  of  Texan 
troops  was  known;  their  superiority  over  their  foes  had 
been  tested-  Under  these  circumstances  what  impulse  was 
wanting  to  the  convention  then  assembled  to  induce  the  step 
they  were  about  to  take  1  The  causes  of  resistance  and  of 
revolution  were  grievous  and  insupportable,  and  fairly  chal- 
lenge investigation,  not  only  upon  the  principles  of  natural 
or  social  rights,  but  comparison  with  any  other  revolu- 
tion, in  any  other  age  or  country.  On  the  second  of  March, 
1836,  Texas  was  declared  "  free,  sovereign,  and  indepen- 
dent ;"  her  citizens  pledged  their  lives  and  fortunes  to  sus- 


440 


A  P  P  £  V  D  1  X  • 


tain  that  declaration,  and  the  success  of  their  experiment  is 
known  to  the  world. 

The  next  important  event  in  the  history  of  this  campaign, 
has  left  the  foulest  stain  on  the  name  of  Santa  Anna — a  stig- 
ma that  can  never  be  erased — the  crowning  act  of  infamy 
of  his  whole  hfe.  The  Texian  volunteers,  under  Colonel 
Fannin  and  Captain  King,  numbering  about  four  hundred, 
capitulated  to  General  Urea,  and  surrendered  themselves  as 
prisoners  of  war,  under  the  written  stipulation  that  they 
should  be  treated  as  such ;  and  in  consideration  of  their  ca- 
pitulation and  paroles  not  to  take  up  arms  again  in  the  Tex- 
ian war,  that  general  had  agreed  to  convey  them  to  Co- 
pano,  on  the  coast,  and  embark  them  on  board  a  vessel 
within  eight  days,  which  should  land  them  at  New  Orleans. 
By  order  of  Santa  Anna  this  convention  was  violated,  and 
these  unoffending  men,  prisoners  of  war,  their  lives  and  re- 
turn to  New  Orleans  guaranteed  by  a  sacred  treaty  stipula- 
tion, were  marched  out,  knapsacks  on,  under  the  impression 
indeed  that  they  were  on  their  way  to  their  homes  and  their 
families,  when  they  were  commanded  to  halt — the  knell  of 
death  was  sounded,  and  every  man,  save  two  surgeons  who 
were  saved,  and  several  others  who  escaped,  were  treach- 
erously shot  on  the  spot.  Kere  was  wholesale  murder  of 
the  foulest  kind,  and  whoever  may  be  disposed  to  overlook 
the  previous  errors  or  faults  of  this  man,  will  scarcely  at- 
tempt to  excuse  or  palliate  this  one,  transcending  in  turpi- 
tude every  act  of  his  life. 

The  Texian  army,  under  General  Houston,  at  tliis  time 
about  tw^elve  hundred  strong,  was  prudently  falling  back 
upon  the  eastern  settlements,  which  as  yet  had  furnished 
but  a  small  quota  of  their  fighting-men,  in  the  hope  that 
they  might  secure  the  advantage  of  a  division  of  Santa  An- 
na's army,  and,  with  an  expected  accession  from  the  "  five 
hundred  sleeping  rilles  on  Red  river,"  be  enabled  to  risk  an 
engagement,  and  turn  the  tide  of  victory  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection.    Houston  had  left  the  Colorado,  and  recrossed  the 


Jf 


APPENDIX.  44J 

Brazos;  his  troops  were  becoming  dispirited,  or  impatient 
for  a  fight;  it  required  all  the  sagacity  and  firmness  of  their 
general  to  prevent  desertion  on  the  one  hand,  or  rash  and 
imprudent  encounters  with  the  Mexicans  on  the  other.  In 
the  mean  time,  his  spies  acquired  intelligence  of  the  division 
of  Santa  Anna's  forces,  and  that  the  number  of  one  thousand 
men,  subsequently  reinforced  by  five  hundred  additional 
troops,  under  command  of  the  Mexican  chief  in  person,  were 
marching  in  the  direction  of  l^'an  Fillipe.  He  lef  small  par- 
ties behind  him  to  annoy  the  enemy,  and  leave  an  impres- 
sion of  the  precipitate  retreat  of  the  Texian  army.  The 
plan  succeeded  ;  Santa  Anna  pushed  on  at  the  head  of  his 
small  division  with  great  rapidity,  leaving  the  larger  divi- 
sion, encumbered  with  the  baggage  and  heavy  artillery,  far 
behind,  expecting  soon  to  plant  his  eagles  on  the  banks  of 
the  Sabine.  The  Texian  general  prudently  concealed  from 
his  army,  as  far  as  possible,  his  plan  of  operations,  until 
Santa  Anna  had  crossed  the  Brazos,  and  was  marching  to- 
wards Harrisburg :  the  Texians,  between  six  and  seven  hun- 
dred strong,  were  about  thirty  miles  above  him  to  the  north, 
when  Houston  immediately  ordered  a  rapid  march  towards 
Buffalo  Bayou,  indicating  his  intention  to  gratify  his  men 
with  an  attack  upon  the  enemy.  He  came  up  with  the  jNIex- 
icans  on  the  19th  of  April,  and  the  next  day  a  skirmish  en- 
sued between  the  advance  and  rear  guards  of  the  two  ar- 
mies. 

On  the  31st  of  April — a  day  memorable  for  its  important 
results — the  armies  met  at  the  confiuencc  of  Buffalo  Bayou, 
and  the  San  Jacinto  river ;  Santa  Anna  had  greatly  the  ad- 
vantage of  position,  with  his  artillery  handsomely  posted  on 
a  commanding  hill ;  the  Texans,  w-ith  their  leader  in  the 
advance,  marched  up  steadily  under  the  fire  of  their  adver- 
saries, reserving  their  own  until  within  a  few  rods  of  the 
Mexican  lines,  when  they  poured  forth  the  contents  of  their 
deadly  and  well-aimed  rifies,  in  steady  and  repeated  volleys, 
occasionally  throwing  themselves  on  the  ground,  at  the  flash 


442 


APPENDIX 


of  the  Mexican  artillery,  to  avoid  the  shot.  The  lines  of 
Santa  Anna  began  very  soon  to  give  way ;  the  well-directed 
bullets  of  the  Americans  cut  them  down  in  great  numbers ; 
his  artillery  was  captured  by  a  bold  push  of  a  single  gallant 
company.  The  order  of  charge  was  now  given  by  Hous- 
ton, and  his  men  swept  over  the  plain  with  the  besom  of 
death. — Seven  hundred  and  twenty  Mexicans  were  slain, 
and  six  hundred  taken  prisoners,  including  Santa  Anna,  "the 
hero  of  an  hundred  battles,"  the  then  president  of  Mexico, 
and  commander-in-chief  of  the  invading  army.  This  day 
decided  the  fate  of  Texas,  and  possibly  the  destiny  of  the 
Spanish  race  on  the  North  American  continent. 

When  the  august  prisoner  was  brought  into  the  Texan 
camp  he  announced  himself  as  "  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa 
Anna,  the  president  of  Mexico,  who  surrenders  as  your  pri- 
soner;" and  remarked  to  Houston,  that  he  was  born  to  no 
common  de^liny,  who  was  the  conqueror  oi  i\\e  Napoleon  of 
the  south."  He  further  told  Houston,  that  he  had  "  no  doubt 
arrangements  could  be  made  between  them  to  prevent  the 
further  effusion  of  blood,  and  that  would  be  mutually  ad- 
vantageous to  Mexico  and  Texas."  Satisfied  to  make  any 
honourable  arrangement  to  terminate  the  war,  and  secure 
the  independence  of  the  country,  Houston  convened  a  coun- 
cil of  war,  composed  of  the  most  sagacious  and  intelligent 
persons  of  the  army  and  the  government,  to  liear  the  pro- 
positions of  the  captive  chief. 

Under  different  circumstances  the  Texians  would  not 
have  condescended  to  treat  with  the  murderer  of  Fannin's 
men ;  but  their  situation  was  yet  far  from  being  safe  ;  they 
had  a  small  force  only — the  Mexican  army  under  Filasola, 
numbering  about  six  thousand,  was  marching  to  the  east, 
and,  to  say  the  least,  if  the  issue  was  not  doubtful,  contin- 
gencies might  occur  to  render  it  so.  With  these  reflections, 
tiie  proposition  of  Santa  Anna  was  considered;  and  it  was 
finally  agreed,  that  the  division  of  the  iMexicnn  army  under 
Filasola  should  evacuate  the  country,  and  the  prisoners 


APPENDIX. 


448 


taken  at  San  Jacinto,  including  the  captive  president, 
be  sent  to  Mexico.  The  Iburtii  article  of  the  treaty  pledged 
the  personal  and  official  influence  of  Santa  Anna  and  seve- 
ral of  his  officers,  on  their  return  to  the  Mexican  capital, 
to  procure  the  acknowledgment  of  the  independence  of 
Texas,  in  the  following  language : 

"  That  the  President  Santa  Anna,  in  his  official  character 
as  chief  of  the  Mexican  nation,  and  the  Generals  Don  Vi- 
cente Filasola,  Don  Jose  Urea,  Don  Joaquin  Ramires  de 
Sesma,  and  Don  Antonio  Guano,  as  chiefs  of  armies,  do 
solemnly  acknowledge,  sanction  and  ratify  the  full,  entire, 
and  perfect  independence  of  Texas,  with  such  boundaries 
as  are  hereafter  set  forth  and  agreed  upon  for  the  same. 
And  they  do  solemnly  pledge  themselves,  with  all  their  per- 
sonal and  official  attributes,  to  procure,  without  delay,  the 
final  and  complete  ratification  and  confirmation  of  this 
agreement,  and  all  the  parts  thereof,  by  the  proper  and  legi- 
timate government  of  Mexico — by  the  incorporation  of  the 
same  into  a  solemn  and  perpetual  treaty  of  amity  and  com- 
merce, to  be  negotiated  with  that  government  at  the  city  of 
Mexico,  by  ministers  plenipotentiary,  to  be  deputed  by  the 
government  of  Texas  for  this  purpose." 

In  accordance  with  this  treaty,  and  subsequent  arrange- 
ments, the  Mexican  troops  evacuated  Texas;  the  prisoners 
were  sent  home,  including  Santa  Anna,  who  was  escorted 
as  far  as  Washington  City,  (D.  C.,)  where  he  proposed  a 
conference  with  General  Jackson,  in  reference  to  the  final 
adjustment  of  the  differences  with  the  new  Republic.  At 
this  interview,  nothing  definite  was  agreed  on,  nor  did  any 
thing  transpire  to  indicate  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  Santa 
Anna  not  to  fulfil,  faithfully  and  exactly,  every  obligation 
he  had  voluntarily  contracted  wuth  the  government  of  Tex- 
as. On  his  return  to  Mexico,  howexer,  he  announced 
to  the  world  his  intention  to  disregard  the  convention 
he  had  entered  into  with  "  Mr.  Houston  "  as  he  styled 
the   victor  of  San   Jacinto,   albeit  he  had  conquered  the 


444  APPENDIX. 

"  Napoleon  of  the  south ;"  and  pleaded  as  an  excuse,  the 
doctrine,  that  obligations  contracted  by  an  individual  under 
duress  were  absolutely  void. 

It  was  unnecessary  for  Santa  Anna  to  have  interposed  this 
plea ;  his  habitual  disregard  of  all  obligations,  his  well- 
known  treachery,  on  so  many  previous  occasions,  would 
•have  furnished  the  best  excuse  for  the  exercise  of  the  same 
characteristics  without  protesting  a  falsehood  before  the 
world.  It  was  a  voluntary  proposition  on  his  part,  and  he 
entered  into  the  stipulations  contained  in  the  fourth  article 
of  the  treaty  without  the  least  compulsion ;  and,  in  order  to 
take  away  all  colour  of  duress,  he  was  informed  that  his 
life  would  be  spared,  and  his  liberty  restored — the  only  con- 
ditions being,  that  his  forces,  then  in  the  country,  be  order- 
ed to  evacuate. 

Bustamente,  who  had  been  previously  expatriated,  took 
advantage  of  these  misfortunes  of  his  fallen  enemy,  and  his 
absence  from  the  presidential  chair,  which  was  filled  in  the 
mean  time  by  a  president,  ad  interim,  and  returning  imme- 
diately to  Mexico,  excited  a  popular  movement  against 
Santa  Anna,  and  was,  without  opposition,  elected  president. 

The  second  administration  of  Bustamente  was  quite  as 
unpopular  as  the  first;  several  pronunciamentos  and  revolu- 
tions transpired  in  the  interior,  and  serious  difficulties  me- 
naced the  country  from  without.  The  French  squadron, 
commanded  by  the  venerable  admiral  Baudin,  had  block- 
aded the  port  of  Vera  Cruz.  In  these  emergencies  the  mi- 
litary talents  of  Santa  Anna  could  scarcely  be  dispensed 
with;  in  accordance  with  orders,  he  therefore  gathered  a 
considerable  force,  and,  after  putting  down  the  domestic  re- 
volutions, and  quieting  the  interior,  marched  to  Vera  Cruz, 
took  the  command  of  the  Mexican  forces  of  the  department, 
and  prepared  to  defend  the  city.  The  castle  of  San  Juan 
de  Uloa,  however,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy;  but  the 
French  were  less  successful  on  the  main  shore,  having  been 
repulsed  with  considerable  loss  by  Santa  Anna,  in  an  action, 


APPENDIX.  ^j,- 

in  -which  he  received  a  severe  wound   in  his  leer,  ulnch 
eventually  rendered  it  necessary  to  amputate  tliat  limb. 

The  difficulties  with  France  were  soon  settled,  but  not 
without  a^:)erfect  compliance  with  the  just  demands  of  Louis 
Philippe.  :  Santa  Anna,  by  his  valour  on  this  occasion,  ac- 
quired the  title  of"  Hero  of  Vera  Cruz;"  and  in  the  eyes  of 
Mexicans,  liad  quite  efiaced  the  disgrace  of  his  defeat  at 
San  Jacinto.  After  this  atfair  he  left  the  army,  and  pru- 
dently remained  in  retiremcni  at  Manga  de  Clavo,  refusing 
to  join  in  the  lesser  revolutions  that  were  constantly  trans- 
piring, until  one  of  great  magnitude  occurred  in  1841,  in 
the  department  of  Gaudalajara.  In  this  movement  he  joined, 
and  bent  all  his  influence  and  energy  agninst  the  govern- 
ment, which  was  overthrown,  and  Bustamentc  again  driven 
into  exile. 

By  the  adoption  of  the  plan  of  Tacubaya.  and  the  guaran- 
tees of  La  Estanzuela,  the  new  constitution  of  183G  was 
abolished,  and  Santa  Anna  declared  dictator,  with  the  ne- 
cessary powers  for  reorganizing  the  national  government. 
Under  this  administration  the  capitulation  of  the  Santa  Fe 
expedition  occurred — an  expedition  fitted  out  by  the  mer- 
chants of  Texas  for  peaceful  purposes,  and  in  compliance 
with  an  invitation  from  the  authorities  o{  tlie  department  of 
Santa  Fe,  to  visit  that  capital,  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  and 
to  establish  friendly  commercial  relations  with  the  country. 
The  expedition,  which  had  gone  prepared  to  dclcnd  itself 
against  the  numerous  Camanches,  who  infested  the  route,  as 
it  approached  Santa  Fe,  worn  down  by  fatigue,  and  ex- 
hausted from  hunger,  was  met  by  a  considerable  force  under 
Governor  Armijo  and  betrayed  into  a  capitulation,  or  con- 
vention, by  which  they  (the  members  of  the  expedition) 
agreed  to  surrender  their  arms,  to  prevent  the  hostility  of 
the  Mexicans,  who,  it  was  pretended,  suspected  their  friendly 
purposes;  and,  when  the  trading  should  be  accomplished, 
and  they  were  ready  to  leave  the  province,  it  was  solemnly 
stipulated,  that  their  arms  should  be  returned.    But  no  sooner 


446 


APPENDIX. 


were  the  Texians  disarmed,  than  Governor  Armijo  made 
them  his  prisoners,  appropriating  to  himself  their  merchan- 
dise, and  sending  them,  under  strong  escort,  with  great  des- 
patch, and  on  foot,  towards  the  city  of  Mexico,  distant  some 
two  thousand  miles.  Of  the  suflerings  of  these  men,  and  the 
inhuman  cruelty  of  their  captors  while  on  their  march,  the 
world  is  familiar;  they  reached  their  destination,  and  were 
immediately  doomed  to  the  most  degrading  servitude ;  some 
of  them,  chained  to  African  and  Mexican  convicts,  were 
compelled  to  work  on  the  streets,  by  order  of  the  very  man 
who  was  indebted  to  the  mercy  and  magnanimity  of  the 
same  people  for  his  life  and  liberty,  and  who  was  treated  by 
them,  after  his  misfortune  at  San  Jacinto,  wath  every  atten- 
tion and  kindness  consistent  with  his  safety  and  detention 
as  a  prisoner  of  war. 

By  means  of  the  extraordinary  exertions  of  the  American 
and  other  ministers  at  Mexico,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
personal  solicitations  of  Messrs.  .Tackson  and  Clay,  and  seve- 
ral other  prominent  gentlemen  of  the  United  States,  Santa 
Anna  was  induced  to  liberate  these  unofiending  and  unfor- 
tunate men,  who  immediately  returned  to  their  country  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  two  years. 

The  Yucatan  revolt  broke  out  in  1841,  and  continued  until 
that  province  dictated  its  own  terms  of  submission  to  the 
government  of  Santa  Anna,  which  was  unable  to  subdue 
them. 

In  the  fall  of  1842,  a  Mexican  foray  was  made  upon  the 
defenceless  town  of  San  Antonio,  (Texas)  by  1,300  Mexicans 
under  General  Woll,  and  several  citizens  were  captured  and 
carried  off,  including  the  officers  and  attendants  of  the  District 
Court,  then  in  session.  This  expedition  was  unauthorized 
by  the  government  of  Mexico,  but  consisted  of  freebooting 
rancheros,  headed  by  an  individual  who  held  a  commission 
and  was  allured  with  his  followers  into  the  Texian  settle- 
ment by  the  hope  of  pillage.  General  Houston,  then  Presi- 
dent of  Texas,  ordered  out  800  volunteers  and  militia  to 


APPENDIX. 


447 


rendezvous  at  San  Antonio  on  the  27tli  of  October,  in  obe- 
dience to  public  sentiment,  to  chastise  the  insolence  of  the 
Mexican  invaders.  Brigadier-general  Suminerville,  of  the 
western  brigade,  was  entitled  to  the  command  of  the  forces 
raised  or  sent  into  his  district,  and  the  lead  of  the  troops 
was  accordingly  "entrusted  to  him.  On  his  arrival  in  the 
west,  he  found  the  army  filled  with  aspirants  to  the  com- 
mand, whose  aim  it  was  to  raise  an  excitement  against  him 
and  deprive  him  of  his  station.  Disregarding  the  disaflbc- 
tion  and  disorganization,  incident  to  the  various  quarrels 
that  occurred  on  this  subject,  he  marched  his  forces  to  the 
Rio  Grande  and  took  possession  of  the  town  of  Loredo. 
Before  his  arrival  at  this  point,  numerous  appearances  of 
,  mutiny  were  manifested ;  and  after  retiring  from  the  town, 
upwards  of  two  hundred  soldiers  left  his  encampment,  re- 
turned to  Lorado,  and  pillaged  its  inhabitants  of  every  thing 
valuable  they  could  find  and  carry  ofi'. 

This  occurrence,  so  disgraceful  to  the  expedition — so  in- 
consistent with  its  legitimate  objects,  and  derogatory  to  the 
character  of  the  government,  which  sought  to  chastise,  and 
not  imitate  the  atrocities  of  their  pillaging  enemies,  exhi- 
bited the  wild  character  and  reckless  designs  of  so  many  of 
the  volunteers,  that  General  Summerville,  ascertaining  that 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Rio  Grande  frontier  were  too  poor  to 
afford  the  necessary  sustenance  to  his  expedition,  and  that 
his  forces  were  too  small  and  illy  provided  with  munitions 
of  war  to  penetrate  the  interior,  and  accomplish  his  only 
legitimate  duty,  immediately  ordered  his  troops  to  with- 
draw from  the  vicinity,  and,  accordingly,  a  retrograde 
movement  was  commenced  towards  San  Antonia. 

At  this  juncture,  the  excitement  became  very  great ;  and 
the  clamours  of  the  men  were  so  universal,  that  a  council 
of  officers  was  called  to  decide  the  immediate  course  of  the 
expedition.  A  fev/  of  the  troops,  disgusted  with  what  had 
already  transpired,  and  feeling  themselves  disgraced  by  the 
conduct  of  many  of  their  associates,  insisted  upon  returning 


448 


APPENDIX. 


to  their  homes ;  but  by  far  the  greater  number  of  them, 
either  panting  to  distinguish  themselves  in  daring  adven- 
ture, or  intoxicated  with  the  taste  of  Mexican  "  beauty  and 
booty,"  so  easily  obtained,  were  equally  anxious  to  continue 
their  march  through  the  sparse  settlements  of  the  Rio 
Grande.  The  latter  disposition  prevailing  in  the  council  of 
officers,  a  division  of  the  troops  was  ordered,  and  those  pre- 
ferring to  return  to  the  interior,  were  permitted  to  do  so  ; 
and  the  remainder  immediately  took  up  their  march  in  the 
direction  of  Guerero,  with  no  higher  hopes  than  those  in- 
spired by  a  desire  for  desperate  and  rash  adventure ;  or  more 
certain  or  definite  object  of  greater  importance,  than  plun- 
dering a  few  contemptibly  weak  and  extremely  impover- 
ished Mexican  villages. 

Guerero,  with  its  population  of  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, scarcely  exceeding  in  numbers  the  belligerent  expedi- 
tion itself,  was  soon  besieged,  and  a  contribution  levied  upon 
its  trembling  and  poverty-stricken  citizens, — who  hastily 
yielded  up  their  propitiation  of  rags,  and  their  rotes  of 
ransom ;  the  more  opulent  (if  the  term  can  be  used)  sent 
their  best  horses  richly  caparisoned,  as  propitiatory  presents 
to  the  oiBcers,  begging  them  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of 
robbery,  such  as  occurred  at  Loredo.  The  horses,  of 
course,  were  received  on  the  proposed  terms;  but  the  limit- 
ed relief  furnished  the  men  did  not  satisfy  them,  and  a  re- 
newed discontent  was  exhibited.  Some  of  the  leaders  of 
the  expedition,  apparently  indulging  in  the  poetic  visions  of 
glory  incident  to  an  imaginary  brilliant  career,  and  others 
elated  with  the  easy  conquest  of  the  affrighted  denizens  of 
Loredo  and  Guerero,  determined  to  proceed  to  Meir,  a  town 
of  more  importance. 

Here,  Summerville  became  again  disgusted  with  the  oc- 
currences of  the  march,  which  he  foresaw  and  feared  at 
Loredo,  and  deeming  it  imprudent  to  encounter  a  force  of 
ten  times  his  number  in  a  strange  country,  which  was  on 
its  march  to  Mier,  and  having  but  a  very  limited  supply  of 


APPENDIX.  4^g 

ammnnition,  determined  to  order  a  return  to  the  Texas 
frontier.  It  would  be  supererogatory  to  discuss  tiie  pro- 
priety of  this  order  in  so  plain  a  case ;  it  was  given,  how- 
ever, but  to  be  disregarded  by  the  greater  part  of  the  com- 
mand. Summerville,  with  upwards  of  one  hundred  follow- 
ers, took  up  his  march  for  San  Antonio,  while  the  residue 
of  the  force,  numbering  about  two  hundred  and  seventy 
men,  remained  behind,  the  doomed  victims  of  their  own 
folly,  rashness,  and  insubordination.  A  commander  was 
chosen  for  this  little  band,  and  it  was  soon  determined  to 
attack  Meir,  and  levy  a  contribution  of  five  thousand  dol- 
lars on  its  inhabitants ;  the  money  was  immediately  demand- 
ed, and  on  the  alcalde's  offering  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-three  dollars,  as  all  he  was  able  to  raise,  it  was 
promptly  decided  to  enter  the  town,  which  they  had  once 
evacuated,  and  enforce  the  contribution,  if  at  the  risk  of  an 
engagement  with  Ampudia,  who,  it  was  understood,  then 
occupied  the  place  with  several  hundred  men. 

On  the  evening  of  the  25th  December,  the  attempt  was 
made ;  and  a  dark  and  rainy  night  found  the  little  band 
of  intrepid  adventurers  forcing  its  way,  by  slow  degrees, 
against  the  constant  fire  of  the  enemy,  to  a  position  which 
it  could  occupy  with  safety  and  without  fear,  from  the 
discharge  of  Ampudia's  ordnance.  This  was  accomplish- 
ed with  several  severe  skirmishes  and  attacks,  which  re- 
sulted in  dispersing  the  Mexicans  and  driving  them  to 
safer  quarters,  when  the  firing  of  the  Texians  was  re- 
served until  morning.  At  early  dawn  the  fight  was  re- 
commenced on  both  sides  with  greater  desperation.  The 
Mexicans  bringing  their  ordnance  to  bear  upon  the  build- 
ings in  which  the  Texians  were  posted,  and  their  officers, 
leading  column  after  column  up  to  the  attack,  were  cut 
down  at  every  advance,  by  the  deadly  discharge  of  the 
American  rifle.  The  action  continued  in  this  way  for  some 
time,  until  Ampudia  sent  a  white  flag  to  the  Texians,  offer- 
ing them  the  choice  of  capitulation.  The  proposition  was 
29 


45Q  APPENDIX. 

entertained,  and,  after  some  consideration,  accepted — the 
Texians  having  exhausted  their  ammunition  in  a  severe  en- 
gagement against  twelve  times  their  number  and  several 
pieces  of  artillery;  tw^elve  of  them  were  killed  and  eighteen 
wounded,  while  the  loss  of  Ampudia  was  estimated  at  from 
five  to  six  hundred. 

The  government  of  Texas  was  not  responsible  for  either 
the  disaster  or  the  improprieties  of  this  expedition.  The 
original  draft  of  men  and  volunteers  was  sufficiently  large 
to  have  accomplished  the  object,  and  a  successful  descent 
might  have  been  made  upon  the  garrisoned  towns.  But  in 
volunteers  and  militia  forces,  there  always  will  be  discon- 
tents, and  jealousies,  and  aspirations ;  in  this  instance  these 
elements  were  in  greater  strength  and  more  active  than 
usual.  There  were,  in  the  expedition,  a  large  number  of 
ambitious  and  disaflected  men  who  had  failed  to  distinguish 
themselves  on  previous  occasions,  and  who,  having  nothing 
to  do  and  nothing  to  make  at  home,  were  ready  for  all  kinds 
of  peril  or  adventure ;  others  were  gentlemen,  and  men  of 
high  and  honourable  feelings,  who  had  been  for  some  time 
out  of  employment,  and  their  circumstances,  perhaps  neces- 
sities, drew  them  into  the  camp ;  while  others  still,  and  very 
many,  were  only  actuated  by  a  desire  to  rob  the  rich 
churches  of  Mexico  and  plunder  and  destroy  private  pro- 
perty. 

In  a  few  days  the  prisoners  were  on  their  march  for 
the  strong  prisons  of  the  interior.  On  one  occasion,  in 
the  course  of  their  journey,  they  rose  upon  their  guard, 
killed  several  of  them,  seized  their  arms,  and  were  success- 
ful in  making  a  temporary  escape;  but  were  again  com- 
pelled, from  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  the  want  of  ammuni- 
tion, to  surrender  to  a  party  in  pursuit.  The  punishment 
for  this  offence  was  deferred  until  directions  from  Santa 
Anna  should  be  received.  When  the  intelligence  of  their 
capture  reached  him,  his  first  order  was,  that  every  man 
should  be  shot;  this,  however,  was  subsequently  relaxed;, 


APPENDIX.  ^gj 

through  the  protests  and  influence  of  the  American  and  se- 
veral foreign  ministers,  to  every  tenth  man;  and  in  obe- 
dience to  the  latter  determination,  seventeen  of  the  prison- 
ers— victims  of  their  own  original  imprudence  and  the  ven- 
geance of  the  Dictator — were  drawn  by  lot  from  the  rest 
and  shot. 

•  The  (jonfinemeni  and  treatment  imposed  on  the  survivors, 
was  severe  and  cruel  in  the  extreme.  But  Santa  Anna 
finally  released  the  entire  number,  in  obedience  to  the  gen- 
erous influence  of  the  foreign  representatives  at  the  Mexi- 
can capital,  and  the  better  impulses  of  his  own  heart,  and 
permitted  them,  after  more  than  a  year's  captivity,  to  return 
to  their  homes. 

In  1843^  a  new  constitution  was  formed  in  Mexico,  en- 
titled the  "  Bases  of  political  organization  of  the  Mexican 
Republic,"  establishing  the  office  of  president,  with  extra- 
ordinary powers.  Santa  Anna  was  elected  to  the  new 
office,  and,  resigning  his  dictatorship,  installed  the  second 
time  ^s^resident  on  the  1st  of  January,  1844. 

Scarcely  a  year  had  elapsed  after  his  inauguration,  be- 
fore another  revolution  broke  out  in  Guadalajara,  under  the 
lead  of  General  Paredes.  The  failure  of  Santa  Anna  to  put 
on  foot  a  proposed  expedition  against  Texas,  rendered  his 
administration  assailable,  and  his  opponents  taking  advan- 
tage of  this  circumstance,  and  alleging  various  usurpations 
in  the  exercise  of  his  official  functions  as  president,  were 
successful  in  getting  together  a  large  force  to  put  down  his 
government.  The  movement  of  the  revolutionists  was  so 
formidable,  that  Santa  Anna  fearing  it  would  require  extra- 
ordinary exertions  to  check  it,  in  open  violation  of  the  con- 
stitutional inhibition — which  declares  that  the  president  shall 
not  command  the  army  in  person — put  himself  at  the  head 
of  the  government  troops,  and  leaving  his  principal  minis- 
ter, Canalizo,  to  manage  affairs  at  the  capital,  proceeded 
with  great  despatch  from  Jalapa  to  Queretero,  to  give  battle 


452 


APPENDIX 


to  Paredes  and  arrest  the  progress  of  the  revoh.  Du- 
ring his  absence,  the  departments  nearest  the  capital,  inclu- 
ding Vera  Cruz,  became  disaffected,  and  joined  in  the  re- 
volution. No  exertions  of  Canalizo  could  arrest  its  fear- 
ful ])rogress,  while  Santa  Anna  was  induced  to  fall  back 
towards  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  was  finally,  after  seve- 
ral manoeuvres  and  engagements,  compelled  to  surren- 
der to  the  forces  of  General  Herera,  who  had  already  ta- 
ken possession  of  the  government,  and  was  seated  in  the 
presidential  chair.  The  administration,  in  debating  what 
disposition  should  be  made  of  the  fallen  chief,  were  not  long 
in  coming  to  the  determination  to  banish  him  from  the  coun- 
try. His  43ny^4£_propml^was,_r:especj^^  and  that  which 
had  been  seized  restored ;  and,  under  a  strong  escort,  he  was 
taken  to  the  coast  and^mbarked  on  board  a  British  vessel 
for  Havana,  under  a  sentence  of  ten  years' banishment  from 
the  country.  ~^ 

This  rapid  review  of  the  life  of  Santa  Anna,  and  the  prin- 
cipal events  of  his  administrations  in  Mexico,  embrace  only 
his  most  prominent  deeds,  and  the  occurrences  which  trans- 
pired during  his  career,  without  interspersing  the  narrative 
with  very  many  important  incidents  in  his  private  life,  which 
would^g^jvieiyJmi^QjJIugtrate  the  character  of  the  man, 
^nd  afford  ample  materials  for  interesting  discussion.  The 
object  of  the  present  biographical  sketch,  is  merely  to  en- 
lighten the  American  public  upon  the  state  of  politics  and 
morals,  and  the  general  history  of  the  constantly  recurring 
revolutions  of  Mexico,  with  a  rapid  outline  of  the  military 
history  of  the  young  republic  of  Texas.  The  career  of 
Santa  Anna  has  been  so  intimately  connected  with  all  these 
topics,  that  the  author  has  deemed  himself  excusable  for  in- 
corporating a  brief  and  comprehensive  outline  of  Mexican 
and  Texian  political  history,  in  this  sketch  of  the  life  of  this 
very  prominent  actor  in  both  these  highly  interesting  dra- 
mas. 

The  reader  has  been  generally  left  to  form  his  own  esti- 


A  PPENDIX, 


453 


mate  of  character,  from  a  plain  narrative  of  the  facts. 
There  are  doubtless  many  good  points  in  the  character  of 
Santa  Anna,  which  oth^r  circumstances  might  have  devel- 
oped to  his  advantage  and  credit.  But,  placed  as  he  has 
been  upon  the  theatre  of  Mexican  revolution,  and  surround- 
ed by  numerous  ambitious  and  corrupt  aspirants  to  the  same 
office  he  sought  and  attained,  we  can  the  more  readily  ex- 
cuse a  large  share  of  his  faults,  that  would  present  a  very 
different  aspect  if  enacted  under  other  circumstances,  and 
among  a  more  civilized  people.  No  traits  are  more  com- 
mon, or  so  necessary  to  success  in  politics  or  war  in  Mexi- 
co, as  duplicity,  intrigue  and  cunning.  The  state  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  other  circumstances,  compel  the  successful  aspi- 
rant to  civic  or  military  honours  to  resort  to  means  and 
management  that  would  excite  the  horror,  or  contempt  and 
indignation,  of  more  enlightened  and  virtuous  communities. 
The  condition  of  the  lower  orders  is  not  removed  above, 
t^aj^of  the  slaves  of  our  Southern  States ;  and  the  morals 
»Qf_the  greater  portion  of  them  are  far  more  deplorable. 
Alt^iough  by  the  constitution  all  distinction  of  classes  and 
colour  is  stricken  down,  yet  the  peons  who  labour  on  the 
large  haciendas,  or  estates,  are  in  a  state  of  servitude  much 
more  degrading  than  the  African  slaves  of  our  country ; 
they  are  not  the  subject  of  bargain  and  sale  it  is  true,  but 
are  beaten  and  driven  by  task-masters,  and  compelled  to 
harder  labour,  and  less  comfortably  fed  and  clothed. 

For  the  amount  of  general  intelligence,  and  the  extent  of 
the  wealth  and  commercial  intercourse  of  the  middle  class- 
es, there  is  more  licentiousness  and  vice  than  in  any  other 
country  on  the  globe.  The  Catholic  church  has  no  where^ 
so  corrupt  a  priesthood^it  is  the  pohcy  of  this  class,  andj^e 
rich,  to  keep  the  lower  orders  in  ignorance,  in  order  that 
they  may  prostitute  them  to  subserve  their  selfish  and  un- 
worthy  purposes.  There  are  probably  not  five  thousand  fe- 
males, out  of  the  population  of  eight  millions,  who  can  read 
and  write ;  and  female  chastity  is  only  known,  and  not  uni- 


454  APPENDIX. 

versal  among  the  higher  orders.  Priest  and  pohticinn,  no 
matter  how  high  in  the  clerical  office,  or  in  civil  station,  are 
permitted  toTReep  their  mistresses,  ^id  society  smiles^  at  the 
most  unbridledJiicentlQ-USBess  iiuaJLcjasses  of  persons.  The 
robberies  that  so  often  occur  on  their  highways  and  moun- 
tains, are  often  set  on  foot  by  wealthy  and  influential  per- 
sons, or  perhaps  an  aspiring  political  chief 

While  this  state  of  public  morals  furnishes  great  palliation 
for  many  of  the  errors,  and  what  Americans  would  denom- 
inate crimes  of  Santa  Anna,  and  leaves  but  little  to  choose 
between  him  and  most  of  his  rivals  for  station  in  that  coun- 
try, it  abundantly  proves  the  incapacity  of  the  people  for 
self-government.  ^Ignorance  and  virtue  are  never  hanil- 
jnaidsj  and,  where  the  former  exists  in  a  republic,  popular 
liberty  will  degenerate  into  licentiousness.  The  leaders  of 
the  federal  movement  of  1824,  intoxicated  with  the  success 
of  the  republican  experiment  in  the  United  States,  and  with 
the  doors  of  promotion,  to  the  highest  stations  of  the  coun- 
try, open  to  so  many,  were  induced  to  imagine  that  they  had 
only  to  write  a  constitution,  and  set  the  wheels  of  the  gov- 
ernment in  motion,  and  the  machine  would  move  itself  and 
the  nation,  peacefully  and  prosperously  on,  with  no  further 
trouble.  In  this  they  were  greatly  mistaken.  Past  expe- 
rience has  abundantly  shown  that  great  revolutions  must  be 
the  work  of  time.  The  people  of  Mexico  had  been  oppress- 
ed for  three  hundred  years,  and  kept  in  the  most  abject  ig- 
norance and  absolute  slavery.  It  was  impossible  to  change 
their  habits  in  a  day,  or  to  enlighten  them  in  a  single  hour,  so 
as  to  enable  them  to  make  laws  and  govern  themselves. 
Iturbide  was  calculated  to  render  Mexico  prosperous,  en- 
lightened and  happy.  Under  his  acLninistration  the  people 
might  have  been  prepared  for  any  change.  Santa  Anna. 
also,  undoubtedly,  properly  appreciated  the  wants  of  the 
nation,  and  ambitious  to  place  himself  atjts  head^^Long  since 
contemplated  the-£gtablishmen^  of  imperial  government,  and 
with  great  confidence  looked  forward  to  the  period  when  he 


APPENDIX. 


455 


should  \veni'  the  diadcm_of^the  empjXiL.  He  is  a  great  sol- 
die7  witliout  doubt,  and  a  statesman  of  no  ordinary  sagaci- 
ty ;  and,  however  badly  he  has  conducted  himseijl  in  the 
commission  of  several  great  and  unpardonable  crimes,  there 
is  much  doubt  whethei'_aiiy  other  man  can  Ix;  found  among 
his  countrymen  at  this  time,  so  vyell  calculated  to  govern 
them  as  a  monarch.     ^ 

The  constant  recurrence  of  civil  war  will  soon  open  a 
way  for  his  return  from  exile,  and  it  is  yet  possible  he  may 
again  be  at  the  head  of  the  nation,  either  as  the  president 
of  the  republic,  or  the  emperor  of  Mexico. 


THE    END. 


■         - 

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